Legends Never Die
by Talitha the Little Girl
Summary: Three hundred years in the future, the Teen Titans have been revived - but not as you know them. As they unravel the mystery of their origin, they must battle new and old enemies alike, and prove once and for all that legends never die. Next Gen, AU. Edited.
1. It Begins

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Summary: Three hundred years in the future, the Teen Titans have been revived - but not as you know them. As they unravel the mystery of their origin, they must battle new and old enemies alike, and prove once and for all that legends never die. AU, Next Gen

Warning: This is an AU, and contains a few OCs. However, the characters are based on the canon ones, and the canon characters _will_ show up later. I hope you enjoy the characters!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, however I do own - though yet to copyright them - my OCs.

* * *

**It Begins**

Something hit his leg and trickled its way past his head. Many more followed. His body began to squirm under the gentle tickling. Finally, he opened his eyes, but he saw only blurs. His eyes closed again for a moment before blinking a few times. His eyes widened as the blurs came into focus; the blurs were odd spherical objects, the cause of the trickling feeling.

But they certainly were strange: there were uneven lumps, as if many smaller lumps had attached themselves to larger ones, and their shape changed constantly, almost as if an unknown force was pushing at them.

Beyond, a barrier separated his body from the outside. There were blinking lights of many colors, but the names of these colors were unknown to him. Shapes – more like outlines – hovered close to the barrier.

His eyes moved, drinking in new sights. There were more… his mind couldn't conceive of the _numbers_… cylindrical objects that appeared to contain… something. In those objects, the same strange lumps rose from the bottom of their containers and lazily drifted their way to the top. The somethings seemed similar to the outlines outside the barrier… a small object covered a part of them, but his mind could not interpret the scene, and so he closed his eyes, leaving the mind to puzzle out what it had witnessed.

* * *

"NT-37's brain waves are spiking!" An elderly male scientist exclaimed as he stared at the monitor above the large test tube, big enough to hold a three-hundred pound man, which held Clone NT-37. "Don't lose that clone! We're at our wits' end keeping it alive for this long! DON'T LOSE IT!"

His colleagues ignored the volume of his voice as they scurried from and to various life-support machines, attempting to control the dangerously fluctuating brain waves and heartbeat with multiple chemicals and medications. This clone was the first to survive more than three weeks, and they weren't planning on losing it.

If they did… well, one could say that it was in their best interest that the clone didn't die. After all, the HIVE always got what they wanted, regardless of the cost, and the punishment for failure could be… severe.

* * *

_Report._

"NT-37 has survived the first three weeks, a new record for the NT clones. After a minor episode, its brain has matured and stabilized; its chance of survival has increased dramatically. The clones CB-91, CB-104, SR-110, and SR-112 also show a great chance of survival after their brains mature. It appears that at long last, we have successfully created thriving Titans clones."

_Good. The HIVE is pleased with the results. Tell us more about those clones._

"Yes, of course. The NT-37 is male, and its brain shows great potential for advanced mental duties. The body is lean and flexible. It appears to be the next Robin."

_And the clone CB-91?_

"From appearances, the clone is a normal, if not underdeveloped and discolored, male. However, its DNA had proven to be flexible without rendering it unstable. It is fit to be Beast Boy or Changeling."

_We will call it Beast Boy. CB-104._

"CB-104 is also male, and the body is strong. Several of the limbs have developed deformed, however. We will replace those incorrect limbs with the more perfect robotic limbs, and the clone will fulfill the role of Cyborg."

_Excellent. Tell us about SR-110._

"The clone SR-110 is an exceptionally powerful female. It had shown the ability to absorb ultraviolet rays like a living solar battery, and the body had been fairly stable throughout the last three weeks. It is created to be Starfire."

_SR-112._

"The female clone has an amazingly powerful mind. We finally managed to stabilize its DNA along with the body. SR-112 will survive to be Raven."

_The HIVE is very pleased with your progress. Yes, very pleased. Indeed, it appears that at long last the Titans shall return, this time to serve the bidding of the HIVE!_

* * *

For more than three hundred years, there has always been a team of Teen Titans to protect the world from disaster, minor or major: invasions by various aliens, repetitive attacks by a large four-eyed demon who was, for whatever reason, obsessed with destroying the world, or even halting the devious attempts by vegans to effectively end the meat industry "for good." However, the average lifespan of a Titan was twenty-five years, perhaps even thirty if they were particularly fortunate. But for every Titan's death, there always was a new Titan waiting. Now their bases could be found north, south, east, and west in nearly every country of the world.

Japan had two, Australia had three, and the United States could boast five. But, as anybody knows, the most important base was the Titans' Tower in New York City, New York in the United States of America. That tower was where the oldest and most experienced Titans awaited their deaths.

It was inevitable. Every Titan died doing their duty. Aqualad. Bumblebee. Mas y Menos. Speedy. Red Star. Pantha. Wildebeest. Flamebird. Hawk. Agent. Danny Chase. Hot Spot. Joker's Daughter. Countless more Titans had died. Among the more known were Aquagirl, Dove, Golden Eagle, Robin II, Terra, and Jericho. But the most famous was the Golden Age team, undoubtedly the greatest Titans who ever lived. They died before they could even reach the ripe old age of twenty.

Robin I. Wonder Girl I. Starfire. Cyborg. Beast Boy. Raven.

Those six legends had lived in the Titans' Tower. Cyborg's father was, in fact, the one who built the tower, but nobody else knew the tower's secret: the truth had died with its original occupants. Now only the tower knew, and it was lonely.

The secret, which had been hidden for centuries, would soon be revealed, though the tower didn't know which Titan to tell. It missed the Golden Age Titans horribly. It trusted only them. Only Robin I, Wonder Girl I, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven. Nobody else. The tower wanted them back, to be able to share its secret again.

But… those Titans were dead.

* * *

"It has been two months, sire, and the clones haven't died yet. Two weeks ago we began to install basic knowledge – the colors, numbers, words, and letters – into their brains. When they awaken, we will teach them the skills of life," a young, pretty woman said, tilting her chin high in pride as her co-workers behind her nodded in agreement.

A mysterious figure draped in a purple cloak softly spoke, "Excellent. The HIVE is pleased with your work. When will the clones be awakened? The HIVE is quite eager to put their purchase to use."

The young woman's grin faltered as a middle-aged man bravely piped up, "Beg your pardon, sire, but it would be far better to allow the clones wake on their own terms. If we were to awaken them prematurely, we run the risk of damaging their brains and losing them. The longer they sleep, the greater the rate of survival." The man shrank back under the glare the cloaked figure directed at him.

"…Very well. The HIVE commands that no one is to force the clones' awakening and that the greatest care is taken to properly mature the clones." With this, the figure whirled around and took his leave from the laboratory. A wave of relieved sighs and smiles broke out amongst the scientists.

As they strode here and there between the machines, chatting amongst themselves, the middle-aged man who had dared to speak back to the HIVE representative frowned as he peered at one of the many flickering monitors. His eyes widened and he turned around swiftly to stare at the five clones floating inside the tubes. The air masks were functioning perfectly fine, but the monitor indicated that something was wrong.

* * *

His eyes opened. What they saw was the same as before, though the shady outlined figures were now in different locations. _Humans._ The word rang throughout the mind. One of the many strange lumps trickled gently past his face._ Bubble._ Bubble?_ Underwater bubble._ Underwater? Immediately, the mind became aware of a cool sensation pressing on the body. _Water. Liquid._ Yes. Water. _Orange._ Orange? Yes, the water… the liquid is orange. The new information was overwhelming the bewildered mind, so his eyes closed, gratefully welcoming the blissful darkness.

* * *

The man gulped. One of the clones had opened its eyes, and he seemed to be the only one who noticed. Which clone was that? The man walked towards the tube holding the clone in question, and he observed it closely. It was a lean male who appeared to be about fifteen years old. When its eyes opened… something was wrong. The eyes… he shuddered and leaned forward to peer at the monitor next to the test tube.

NT-37.

He swallowed. Their prize clone had opened his eyes. Great, just great. And to make matters worse, according to the printout near the monitor, it wasn't the first time – how had they missed that? That was not good: if the clone awoke too soon, its mind could become overwhelmed.

The scientist reached over to the keyboard, intending to increase the sedative dosage… and he paused. A long moment passed, and when one of his colleagues called him, he turned without hesitation and didn't look back. Unknown to him and the others, NT-37 opened his eyes for the third time.

* * *

His mind was frightened, but he wanted to know more. So his eyes opened again, and this time he recognized the underwater bubbles that tickled the body, and the humans milling outside of the barrier. His eyes moved around, and like the first time, there were _four_ cylindrical objects – _tubes_ – nearby. Inside each tube, four humans floated gently in the orange liquid. How odd. They were different from each other.

The largest one had shiny _arms_ and _legs._ The smallest one had pointed _ears_ and _fangs._ The other two… they were different somehow, though he had no idea why. The two had long _hair_ trailing from their _heads._ The smaller one had a strange _face._ They each had a shining _gem_ in their_ foreheads._ Now the mind was tired, so he compelled the eyes to close again, but not before the eyes noticed something else.

_NT-37._

With this, the eyes closed fully as the mind drifted into sleep.

* * *

The unfortunate scientist who had to stay for the night shift groaned as she sipped her coffee, which had an abnormal coppery taste. _Why did the laboratory have to be underground,_ the young, pretty woman thought bitterly as bits of dirt fell from the ceiling and splashed into her mug. Yawning sleepily, she trudged over to the clones. NT-37. Check. CB-91. Check. CB-104. Check. SR-110. Check. SR-112. Check. All clones appeared to be perfectly fine. With a long, drawn-out sigh, the woman returned to the main monitor. She stopped halfway there… Aw, what the hell. The clones wouldn't be going anywhere – why should she suffer the despicable night shift? Nobody would ever know.

After gathering her things, the woman checked on the clones for the last time – all perfectly fine. After bidding them a good night – why did she do that? It's not like they could hear, let alone respond or understand – the young scientist hurried out of the dimly lit room.

With almost perfect timing, NT-37's eyes opened just as the door closed behind the woman. Only this time, the other clones opened their eyes as well.

* * *

The mind, already used to seeing, knew what to expect. However, the absence of the humans made it nervous, and the eyes moved around, trying to find one of those humans. Wait. If the eyes could move… then the body could! Looking down, the mind was pleased to see the _hand_ flexing. Then it saw the letters and numbers again. There, engraved onto the arm. NT-37.

NT-37? Was that its _name?_ Wait. It was not an 'it.' It was NT-37.

NT-37… it has a name! The eyes glanced down, trying to see its body. It counted ten _fingers_ and ten _toes._ Hmm. The body seems to be complete, yet… something was nagging at the mind. It didn't know what… wait. It. No. NT-37 was not an it… NT-37 was a_ he._ But what was a he? Were the bubbles a he? Was the barrier a he? NT-37 had no idea. Glancing into outside, he saw the four tubes again – as the previous two times, four humans were in the tubes. They also had their eyes open and were staring around, amazement etched on their faces.

Suddenly he became furious! They were his… his… he didn't know what, but NT-37 wanted to be with them. Something burned within him as his eyes saw only _red._ Without thinking, the mind commanded to the hand to rise and…

Something sharp and cold rushed around him. _Air._ The pieces of the barrier had broken away, glistening. The liquid sloshed down onto the floor. Now he longer saw in orange, but saw things as they were supposed to be. Bubbles were gone, he noticed mournfully. NT-37 liked bubbles. He tore off the object that covered his nose and mouth, and he tasted the air for the first time. It smelled… funny. He glanced at the remaining tubes.

The humans in the tubes all stared at him, and then did as he had done. They smashed their arms and legs against the barriers, and the tubes broke into tiny pieces. They tore off the items off their faces, and they all gaped in wonderment as they took their first unfiltered breath. NT-37 noticed with delight that like he, they all had their names engraved on their arms.

The large he with the shiny arms and legs bore the name CB-104. The smaller he with the pointed ears and fangs had the name CB-91. The two different ones – the strange voice in NT-37's mind told him that they were _she._ What was a she? Was a she like a he? Was the floor a she? Was the pretty blinking lights a she? NT-37 wasn't sure. The larger she, the one with the long hair, was named SR-110, according to her arm. The other she with that strange face was SR-112.

NT-37 felt his face stretched as his lips… _smiled._ He doesn't know why, but now everything was right – there was nothing wrong anymore. CB-104 towered over NT-37 as his dark _green_ eyes stared intently at NT-37. Then NT-37 got an idea; he had seen that large human, as large as CB-104, do this once. He put his hands on the floor front of him, and he carefully pushed himself up as his feet flattened against the floor and his legs straightened. NT-37 grinned as he stood up, tottering uneasily on unsteady legs, much like a baby.

The others stared at him with awe in their eyes. SR-110 soon put her hands on the floor like NT-37 did, and copied him. She stood tall, and seeing this, SR-112 and CB-104 also stood up unsteadily. Seeing their success, CB-91 imitated them and soon was gleefully tottering on his legs. NT-37 gazed gleefully at the four, his grin still as wide as ever. Yes, everything was right.

Suddenly, a terrible sound rose screeching from an unseen source! The two shes immediately grabbed their ears, moaning. CB-91 had decided to pull on his ears instead of covering them, and CB-104 was groaning as he clutched at his head. NT-37 tossed his head around, bewildered, and spotted the flashing red monitor.

Without thinking, NT-37 grabbed a large steel _chair_ that he had once seen a human sit on, and threw it at the monitor. Sparks and flames flew as the horrible sound faded, dying into nothing. Then the lights high on the ceiling abruptly ceased, leaving the frightened clones in darkness.

A small, dim red light flickered on, and NT-37 gulped. It was not very nice here, and there were no bubbles. What to do? Wait… he had seen the humans do this; he stepped forward, wobbling dangerously, but he didn't fall. The swaying lessened with each step he took, and soon he was striding confidently. Hearing something, he turned his head to glance behind him. The other clones had copied him, walking as smoothly as he was. When his head turned backwards, they eagerly imitated him and looked behind them as well.

Because of this, NT-37 tripped, and the other clones, being much more occupied with walking while looking backwards, collided into him. NT-37 felt the wind being blown out of him as their bodies slammed into his – ouch! NT-37 did NOT like it here, so he got up quickly, and then he spotted the door. Aha!

He swiftly reached the door, cautiously touching it with his hand. Turning the doorknob as he had seen humans do, he waited. Nothing happened. Then CB-91 tripped over SR-112's foot, and he slammed into the door, forcing it forward, and NT-37, whose hand was still on the doorknob, was dragged along to the floor. The duo stood – by then they'd become experts at standing – as SR-110 pushed lightly at the door. The door moved, startling them all. CB-104 grunted, and kicked it.

The door shattered into pieces around the hinges. Eleven wide eyes stared at the mess, and someone gulped. The sound echoed in the tunnel, snapping NT-37 out of his stupor. Without thinking about it, he sprinted down the tunnel. CB-91 whimpered before running after him, and CB-104 immediately followed. SR-110 was close behind, pulling SR-112 along by her arm.

And so, the clones departed their birthplace, leaving behind the shattered test tubes, the smoking monitor, and the poor splintered door as evidence of their passing.

* * *

It sighed. They'd been gone for such a long time. It missed them; it wanted them back. But they would not be coming back, and so the tower wept for the Teen Titans.

Within the dark of the night, one could hear the tower crying. It was a sad thing to hear, and they had been hearing it for years and years now. They had no idea what it was; only that somebody, or something, was weeping. All they know was that the ghostly wailing started the day the Teen Titans disappeared.

The Teen Titans hadn't returned for a long time. Nobody had seen a Titan for thirty years. As far as the world was concerned, the Teen Titans had taken up their place in history, alongside famous forefathers like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Antimony Carver.

Still nobody knew who was weeping, and the tower cried because nobody knew; it cried because it still longed for them. As the tower mourned the Titans, its haunted sobs rang over the still waters, and nobody knew why… not even the Teen Titans themselves.

* * *

They could scarcely believe their eyes. So many strange things! Things they had never seen before! Eyes huge in wonder, they all gasped as they saw the tall i brown i cylinders towering far above them, carrying huge bundles of green lumps. But the lumps weren't bubbles – they were_ leaves._ Leaves?_ Trees._ Trees? They were called trees?

Yes. They were trees… many, many of them! And underneath their feet, millions and millions and millions of tiny, bright green trees all fluttered in the breeze. _Grass._ The tiny trees were grass, and the piles of leaves on the grass were _bushes._ Bushes…okay!

They giggled, glancing at each other. Already they had identified the trees, grass, and bushes! They liked it here! A flash of _yellow_ caught their eyes, and all eleven eyes snapped to the big bushes holding up yellow, _pink, white,_ and red leaves. _Flowers._ Flowers? Oooh, they were pretty! There were yellow flowers, pink flowers, white flowers, red flowers, and flowers with many colors! Pretty!

The flowers' gentle leaves –_ petals_ – caught their attention, and they all skipped over to the bushes, where they saw the small pointy leaves. _Thorns._ CB-91 reached out with his hand; his finger pricked against a thorn, and he let out a small exclamation. Withdrawing his hand quickly, they could all see the tiny drop of a red liquid._ Blood._ Oooh, the thorns were sharp!

But the flowers were pretty… SR-110 reached out with her hand and carefully maneuvered around the thorns, wrapping her fingers around the _stalk_ of a red flower. She pulled it towards her, and gasped when the stalk broke! The flower came free of the bush, and she gently settled it in her hand. SR-112 peered over SR-110's shoulder at the red flower, and CB-91 stood on his toes, craning his neck over SR-112's shoulder, trying to see the flower. CB-104 effortlessly looked over SR-110's head, staring at amazement at the red blossom as NT-37 stood at SR-110's side, admiring the flower's numerous (is it possible for a flower to have so many?) soft, large petals.

Then SR-112 reached out and broke off a white flower, then carefully deposited it into SR-110's hand next to the red flower. All five stood there in silence, marveling at the similarity of the flowers, though they were so different in color. SR-110 smiled softly as she returned the white flower to SR-112 and carefully held the red flower in her hand. After ensuring that the flowers were safely in the shes' hands, NT-37 tugged impatiently at their arms – he wanted to see more!

They followed him obediently, and the ground they were walking on… changed. _Downhill._ Downhill? They're going down? But wouldn't they fall? Yet, despite going down, they didn't fall, and CB-91 spotted something; he squealed and pointed at something.

The something had tiny leaves all over its body. _Feathers._ It emitted a sound out a protrusion on its face – _beak._ Beak? Its tiny head tilted at the sight of them, and suddenly it leapt! No, not leapt. _Flew._ Flew? _Flying._ SR-110 let out a delighted laugh as she watched the thing flying. _Bird._ Bird? Bird! The bird disappeared in the big dark blue ceiling. _Sky._ The sky had white lumps and white dots. _Clouds_ and _stars_.

They all laughed gleefully; what a great day! They were learning so many things! Trees, grass, bushes, leaves, flowers, thorns, feathers, flying, birds, sky, stars, and clouds! Yes, everything was right!

* * *

"Damn cat, keeps tippin' over the stupid trash can… damn trash can, damn trash, damn this day!" An obese, elderly woman raged as she heaved the trash can upright, and as she glanced over the mess, she groaned. "Don't wanna clean this up… damn cat!" With an irritated sigh, she knelt down to pick up the trash. "Damn, damn, damn…"

A clatter quickly drew her attention. "Bet it's that damn cat… ain't gonna tip over no more trash cans!" She grabbed the baseball bat that she had left leaning against the wall and began moving towards the alley. "Kitty, kitty… c'mon out. Mama's gonna show ya some love. Kitty, kitty, here, kitty… c'mon out, Mama promises she won't hurt ya. Much, that is."

The woman halted upon hearing a gasp, her brows furrowing. "That ain't a kitty," she declared as she stepped near the end of the alley sandwiched between her house and the nosy neighbors who refused to control their demon of a house cat. "Who's there?" She called out, clutching at the bat so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

She jumped back as a boy tumbled out from behind the pile of trash bags. He began to cry when he hit the rough asphalt; the woman quickly dropped the bat and rushed to him. "Oh, you poor dearie! Just stay put, Mama'll get ya fixed up! Hush, hush, it's all right. Mama's here." She glanced up upon seeing several other figures emerge from behind the same bags and gasped. "Oh, dearie! Ya have friends! Oh, don't worry, kiddies. C'mon inside, Mama'll get y'all dressed up an' warm!"

With that, she quickly carried the wailing boy, who couldn't have been much older than twelve years old, inside and then returned to usher in his four friends, who seemed either too stunned or too scared to protest. Before long, she had the five teenagers sitting in her living room, crowded together on the couch, all dressed in clothes left over from her former foster kids. The woman hummed as she hurried around in the kitchen, preparing something for them to eat.

"Aha! Here ya go, dearies. Delicious sandwiches an' lemonade, perfect fer this hot morning!" She placed the food and beverages on the small coffee table before the teenagers; they stared at her, obviously bewildered. "Hmm? Not hungry? Oh, but yer stomachs told me so! Can hear 'em miles away, too. Poor dearies, ya _must_ be hungry! Go ahead, Mama didn't poison the lunch, y'know."

They simply stared at her with wide eyes. The woman clucked, "Hmm. You dearies sure are strange. Showin' up in the alley with no clothes, an' none of yer spoke a word since! Go on, eat up." They didn't move. "Hmm, well, yer loss if ya won't eat."

With this, the woman promptly dug into her own lunch, and after a few moments of watching her chowing down, the small boy – the one who fell over the trash bags – carefully plucked his sandwich off the plate and bit into it. His eyes widened as he slowly chewed it. He chewed, and chewed, and chewed… finally he swallowed. And…

"Whoa, whoa, slow down! Can't do havin' yer choke!" Perhaps hearing the urgency in her tone, the boy slowed down. The four others, having seen their comrade doing the same, began to eat their lunch as well. After they had finished their sandwiches, they stared at the glasses of lemonade. The woman raised her eyebrow, "Silly dearies. I sure didn't poison yer lemonade, y'know. Safe ta drink." She took a gulp from her own glass as though to demonstrate that she wouldn't drop dead.

The large girl grasped her glass, and tried to drink from it, but some lemonade sloshed down on her clothes. She looked down at herself in surprise. The woman chuckled, "Clumsy, dearie? Don't worry, lemonade's easy ter wash out. Drink up, kiddies. Drink up!" The teenagers stared at her before attempting to drink from their glasses – and spilling nearly all of their lemonade in the process. The woman shook her head. "Silly kiddies. My name's Marcy, by the by, but you can call me Mama. _Everybody_ calls me Mama, an' don't bother callin' me Marcy, I don't recognize who Marcy is no more!"

Chuckling, Mama titled her head as she surveyed the five teenagers. "Hmm. Quiet bunch, eh? Well, that's alright, y'all just need time ta adjust. Feel free ta take a nap… you dearies look wiped out! C'mon, I'll show y'all the rooms my foster kids used ter sleep in – four rooms in all, you girls can share a room." Before the teenagers could react, she had them all herded upstairs and tucked away in beds.

"Sleep tight, dearies, an' later we'll figure out what ta do fer y'all. I'll wake ya up fer dinner," She waved merrily at them before leaving them. "Hmm, strange kiddies. Strange, very strange…"

* * *

NT-37 was tired. He didn't think the day was good: after they saw the bird, they observed a _dawn,_ then they saw a tall _wall,_ and CB-91 climbed over the portion of the wall that was shorter than the others, but then he fell over. The others immediately followed, but then they heard something loud. They all hid and watched as a large woman stomped around, picking up things and waving around a large metal stick.

When CB-91 fell over, the woman made a lot of noise when she ran up to them. Before they could figure how to escape – they didn't want to go back to the room with the tubes – she had them inside and she put… strange things on their bodies, and she… fed them _food_ and gave them something to _drink._ Then she moved them up some strange steps and put them into something called _beds._

She certainly made a lot of noise, NT-37 observed, but that was not important. He needed to escape – he _had_ to escape! He didn't want to go back… but he was tired… he couldn't think…

_He dreamed about bubbles…_

* * *

Author's Note: Clones are not a new concept in the Titans universe - after all, Superboy is a clone of Superman and Lex Luthor. This story came around as a result of me wondering what mixtures of the other Titans would be like, and I also decided to challenge myself: how would a brand-new clone see the world?

Consider it a fun little experiment, if you will. I hope you would enjoy the ride, dear readers, as I did! Also, fear not - the Titans we know and love will appear in the story, though probably not immediately. If you absolutely have to read their piece, jump ahead to chapter 11: _Divided We Fall._

Speaking of the Titans, this fanfiction is set mostly in the comic-universe, though there are bits of cartoon influence here and there. (Such as CB-91's pointed ears and fangs, which only cartoon Beast Boy had.)

In the meanwhile... buckle in!


	2. To Be Given A Name

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, however the OCs are mine.

* * *

**To Be Given A Name**

"…Yes, they were hidin' behind trash bags, all as naked as jaybirds! I put some clothes on 'em, an' I fed 'em. They be takin' naps upstairs now," Mama spoke into the phone, "Poor dearies, they all looked so scared! Didn't speak a word, none of 'em did."

She fell silent for a moment– a feat that seemed impossible if one was to judge from her behavior with the odd teenagers that she found, clothed, and fed – as she listened. "No! I ain't goin' ter the cops yet! Somethin's fishy here, I can smell it. Lissen, jest come over an' see fer yerself, okay? I haven't seen ya in a while, dearie. I'll have yer favorite cookies ready!" With that, she put the phone down and immediately headed toward the pantry.

* * *

A young man wearing a crisp, clean white shirt and black trousers, complete with a neat indigo tie, knocked on the wooden door, calling out, "Mama, you there? Come on, I'm hungry." The woman in question chuckled as she opened the door and welcomed the man in.

"That's my boy, always thinkin' with his stomach. Here's the cookies ya loves so much!" The man gave her a quick hug before immediately devouring the Oreos. "How's school, Mark?"

"Wonderful, absolutely delightful. I love it – so amazing!" Mark answered as he shoved Oreo after Oreo into his mouth.

Mama smiled as she answered, "School, not the Oreos."

"Oh. School's good. A bit busy, but nothing too much." Mark swallowed the last Oreo as he continued, "So what about those kids you found? Mama, you was a foster parent, you know how the system works! Why don't you approach Child Services?"

Mama gave him a stern glare as she replied, "I told ya somethin's fishy! They were buck naked! _Naked,_ in middle of a city an' in th' middle of mornin'! When I put clothes on 'em, I noticed somethin' else about 'em. Somethin's really weird, Mark, an' I don't like it," She finished, looking troubled.

Mark frowned before asking, "Could you show me?"

After a short pause, Mama nodded and motioned for Mark to follow her upstairs.

"Shush, Mark, those dearies be takin' a nap. Don't want ter wake 'em up," Mama warned as they snuck into one of the rooms. "Here's the boy who fell over the trash bags. I put short-sleeves on 'em all, so it would be easy ta see what I told ya about. Shush!"

They tiptoed their way across the room to the sleeping boy, and Mama gently took hold of the boy's arm, carefully twisted the forearm around and pointed at something on it. Mark frowned. "CB-91? What does that mean?" Mama shushed him before she led him to the second room, this one with the large boy. After she showed Mark the identification number – CB-104 – on the boy's arm, they went into the room that the two SR clones shared before paying NT-37 a visit.

After they had looked at the clones' numbers, Mama and Mark quietly went back downstairs. Once in the living room, Mama turned upon Mark – "Didn't I tell ya somethin's weird? Yer the smart one, what do ya think?"

Mark frowned as he answered, "I honestly have no idea. CB-91, CB-104, SR-110, SR-112, and NT-37… I have _no_ idea what those numbers are. I could hazard a guess, though, but it's bound to be a little farfetched." Seeing Mama's stern face, he continued, "Well, as you know, I'm taking biology classes at college, and it seems that recently, the human genetic engineering department has taken an interest in cloning humans from two or three DNA sources… I read about a few clones – you know about OB-005, naturally, the famous clone of the first black president, and others. They all carry one initial for each DNA source, and their numbers indicate whether they are the early or the later clones. Remember, Mama, I'm guessing here, but it fits what we saw: NT-37 is an early clone, whereas the four others are late clones. Or the clone NT wasn't created until later…"

Mama raised a hand, and Mark stopped. "Thank ya, Mark, I now know all I need. I ain't goin' ta Child Services, Mark. If they be clones, I ain't handing 'em over ter the government! Ya know how they treat clones like!" Mark sighed. When Mama made up her mind, there was no changing the decision.

"Okay, Mama, but how are you going to get the money to feed, clothe, and take care of them? You're retired, Mama." When he saw her face hardening, he hastened to add, "Mama, please let me help. It's the least I could do after you took care of me for ten years. I may be a kid, but I already have my Master's and working towards my Doctorate, and I have a job. It won't be an issue, and we could get Lucy to help. We can trust her."

Mama nodded after a moment. Then she grinned. "Yer such a good boy, Mark. You don't need ta repay me fer fosterin' ya! I love ya, I'm glad ter do it! C'mon here, Mark, gimme a hug," And Mark happily compelled to her command. "I'll call Lucy tomorrow. Mark, ya better go – I don't know how the clones would react ta yer bein' here."

"Remember, Mama, I may be very wrong about them being clones…" The woman waved her hand dismissively, and Mark clamped up. She gave him another hug, and gently shoved him out of the door. "Bye, Mama. I'll see you later."

With a wide grin, she bid him farewell: "Silly boy! Be safe, an' keep yer nose clean!" Mark chuckled as he climbed into his hover car and took off. Mama sighed, "Clones. Oh, my. Those poor dearies… clones?" She closed the door as she vowed to herself, "The government ain't gettin' their hands on those kiddies, not if Mama can help it!"

* * *

"Dearie, you awake?" Mama called out softly as she opened the door to the room NT-37 was in. "Oh! Y'_ are_ awake! Yer hungry, dearie? Yer friends are downstairs, an' I'm just about ter make y'all burritos fer dinner!" She grinned at the teenager who simply stared at her with wide eyes. She clucked, and walked over to him, gently helping him out of the bed and led him downstairs to join the others.

As soon as he caught sight of his fellow clones, NT-37 tore off towards them, and he promptly sat down on the couch in the middle. Mama suppressed a chuckle as the others immediately sat down at his side. "Yer the leader, eh? A natural, my dearie! Jest sit tight, Mama'll have yer dinner ready!" She hustled off towards the kitchen, pulling out several frozen burritos from the freezer.

They all stared at her (amazingly, their constant stares didn't seem to faze Mama one bit) as she hummed, waiting for the microwave to finish. "Aha! Here ya go, kiddies, burritos! Jest wait, Mama'll get y'all some water," and she soon placed the glasses near the food. She sat down on her own cushion chair, and glanced at the clones. "Eat up, dearies. Not poisoned like yer lunch was, y'know." Chuckling at her own joke, she immediately started chowing down.

This time, they were far quicker to pick up their dinner, and while they were attempting - and failing - to eat the burritos without dropping any of it on themselves, Mama picked up a remote and started the holovision. "Wonder what's on the news, dearies, maybe the government finally decided ta pay Mama a million dollars, eh?" Winking at the teenagers, she lounged in her recliner as she waited for the news.

_We interrupt your usual program for this breaking news report. Early this morning, at approximately four thirty-eight, several highly valuable clones escaped the laboratory underneath Central Park. If anybody has seen the five clones – identifiable by the identification numbers NT-37, CB-91, CB-104, SR-110, and SR-112 – please call the toll-free number 1-800-STAR-LAB, and professionals will be immediately dispatched to take care of the clones. Be warned, the clones are highly dangerous – do not approach under any circumstances._

"…so yer all clones, my dearies? Hm, y'all came from Central Park? That explains why yer were in the alley, you musta climbed over the wall," Mama pondered out loud as she stared at the five clones who, after their initial surprise at the holovision, began ignoring the broadcast and focused on finishing off their dinner. "'Dangerous,' eh? Y'all don't look dangerous ta me, yer just sweet dearies," Mama turned off the holovision and frowned slightly. "Still… 'highly valuable clones?' Can ya tell me why, dearies?" She didn't expect an answer, and she didn't get one except for a "_nnngh?_" from CB-104.

Mama's eyebrows rose. "Oh, tryin' ta talk dearies?" She grinned, "That won't do! No, no, no, Mama'll teach y'all ter talk! Yes, she will! Sit there, dearies, Mama'll get some pictures ta show ya! Oh, she'll have y'all talkin' good before long!" The woman hurried upstairs, and the five clones merely watched her go before polishing off the last bit of their dinner.

"Here we go, dearies! Some pictures from my scrapbooks! Mark my words, Mama'll teach y'all ter talk before the week's over!" With this, Mama moved the table out of the way and sat down on the floor. She opened the scrapbook and was delighted when the teenagers sat down beside her. "Lookie here, that's a bird! _Bird_… jest copy Mama, dearies!_ Buh-urrd_…"

"Bbb-BBrrrRRD?"

"Oh! Good job, dearies! Yes, yes, that's a bird!"

* * *

Mark sighed. "Lucy, I'm worried. For the last four weeks, the news has been obsessing about those clones! What if somebody notices that Mama happens to have five mysterious teenagers, much less _clones,_ in her house? She'll be arrested!"

"Mark, Momma ain't stupid. She'll pull sumthin' off, jest relax. Tell yah what, Markie, let's have lunch with Momma. Bin a long time since Ah saw her, an' Ah would love ter see mah Momma again," Lucy's voice trailed out of the phone in her slow, southern drawl.

Mark rubbed his face before answering, "Okay, okay. I'll call Mama and set up a lunch or dinner or whatever, and I'll let you know – when do you have some free time?"

"Tha' would be any afternoons, Ah'm always done with mah work by then," Lucy informed him, shortly before she hung up. Mark sighed.

"That Lucy… never one for a proper farewell."

* * *

"C'mon, my boy an' girl! Been a long time! Mark, I have yer cookies ready, an' Lucy, yer tea's waitin'!" Mama happily escorted her former foster children inside, to the living room where the five odd teenagers she'd taken in were sitting, watching the holovision. "Dearies! You already met Mark an' Lucy, tell 'em hello!"

SR-110 waved at them, but the others were far too engrossed in the holovision to reply. Mama chuckled as she sat down in her recliner, and her visitors settled themselves on the couch. "Tell me, tell me, how y'all doin'? School good, Mark? Job good, Lucy? Goodness, you two need ter visit more often!"

"Tha's true, Momma," Lucy grinned, "Bin too long, Ah sure missed yer tea." Mark nodded, his mouth far too full of the Oreos to answer properly. "Mah job bin good, Momma. Boss said Ah might git promoted," Lucy smiled, obviously pleased with herself, as Mama let out a happy exclamation and Mark choked on his Oreos in a failed attempt to give a congratulation.

The clones glanced curiously behind themselves at the source of the noise, and saw Lucy thumping on Mark's back. They blinked indifferently and turned back to the holovision. Mama smiled, "Oh, those dearies. Ever since I began ta teach 'em how ter talk, they been watchin' holovision nonstop! But I ain't gonna stop 'em, they be hearin' words an' learnin' language."

"Mama, Lucy and I are worried about you… you've been hiding those clones for a month, but how long can you last?" Mark began, but Mama cut him off.

"Markie, no worries! I talked ta a friend who's smart with machines, an' he made a bunch o' hologram bracelets. Gonna put 'em on the dearies, disguise 'em, an' bring 'em ter Child Services, get 'em as my foster kids," Mama held up a hand as she saw Mark began to protest, "Already talked with Child Services, told 'em I found some kiddies, an' I had free room, an' they been too traumatized ter talk ta anybody, but they been doin' good with me. Child Services said I can foster 'em, just need ta register 'em."

Mark had to hand it to Mama, she certainly knew what she was doing (however, he couldn't help but being concerned over how gullible a _government_ department could be). Lucy grinned – she could never resist an opportunity to provoke Mark – as she asked, "Momma, so y' comin' out o' retirement? Gonna foster those clones?" Mama nodded. "Oho, those kids be mighty lucky. Yer a great momma, Momma," with this, the two women hugged. Mark rolled his eyes.

"Lucy, quit sweet-talking her. Mama…" Mark trailed off at the stern glare Mama sent him. "Okay, okay. I'm just being a worry-wart. Just… please promise me that if you have some problems, you'll call Lucy and me."

"I will, Mark. Don't be worryin' about Mama, she knows what ter do," Mama smiled and glanced over at the clones. "There be somethin' I wantin' ta ask you two. Those dearies need names ter fool the Child Services, want ta help me come up with names?"

"Of course."

"You bet, Momma!"

Mama grinned as she called over to the clones, "Dearies, c'mere! We're givin' y'all names!" The teenagers gasped and ran over to her, fidgeting with excitement. "Oh, calm down, dearies! Jest sit down, an' Mark an' Lucy an' I'll come up with names fer y'all!" She grinned at the clones who obediently sat down.

Lucy shook her head. "Ah cain't believe they talkin' so good in only a month, Momma. Yer mighty skilled ter teach 'em so quickly."

Mama smiled fondly at her as Mark spoke to the clones, "We'll ask you what you think about the names that we come up with, and if you don't like them, we'll think of another. Is that fine with you?" The clones nodded, and Mark straightened up in his seat. "Great, let's get started. Any ideas?"

Mama patted CB-91's shoulder as she said, "I been thinkin' of namin' CB-91 Logan. Whatcha think? Like Logan?" The boy nodded ecstatically. "Wonderful! Yer Logan! Logan… Brown!"

"Logan Brown?" Mark couldn't help repeating, his eyebrows raised. Mama shot him a stern glare, and he quickly stopped talking. CB-91, or Logan, didn't notice; he was far too thrilled to have a human name of his own. "Okay, Logan Brown he is! I've been thinking… maybe Rich for NT-37?"

The clone in question sat up straight. Lucy chuckled, "Oh, look. Y' like the name Rich, don'tcha? Ya be Rich Johnson, then," NT-37 grinned at his fellow clones as Lucy continued, "CB-104, Ah bin thinkin' about Will Brown, like Logan Brown. You two look alike, y' coulda be brothers."

While CB-104 was gleefully adopting the name as his own, Mama added, "Y'all understand those names be common; many people have same first or last name. It so people won't suspect y'all of bein' clones." The teenagers didn't seem to notice, so she shrugged. "SR-110, dearie, yer gettin' a pretty name. A pretty face needs a pretty name. Yer last name's Barker, but what first name should ya have?"

"Mama, I like the last name Barker… how about the first name Danielle?" Mark had to raise his voice to be heard over the newly-christened Danielle's delighted giggling as he added, "And what of SR-112? Remember, it ought be a fairly common or normal name."

Lucy nodded, gazing at the last clone thoughtfully. "Definitely not Britney… tha' name's ugly, an' there's way too many Sarahs, Jessicas, an' Megans… not Taylor, _too_ common. Ah know! SR-110, y' like Caity?" SR-112 quickly nodded as Mama added,

"An' ya look a lot like Danielle, ya can pretend ter be her sister, so yer Caity Barker," She finished, smiling at her five darlings, who all were busy repeating their names over and over. "Tomorrow we be goin' ta Child Services an' makin' y'all my official foster kids, an' everythin'll be alright."

* * *

The tower could sense them! The Titans were alive! But… that cannot be. They had died so very long ago. And if they really were alive, why hadn't they come? After all, they knew the tower's secret. But they didn't come. They didn't come to ease the tower's grief.

And so the tower's ghostly sobs continued.

* * *

"Any report on the escaped clones?" The figure draped in the purple cloak questioned the quavering police officer. "Have they been found?"

"N-no-oo, s-sire. Th-there h-hasn't b-been any w-w-word on those c-clones," The poor officer trembled even more under the glare of the figure.

"They escaped two months ago! How can that be? Perhaps the police department ought be… cleansed of its more _incompetent_ officers," the shaded figure snarled. "The HIVE does not appreciate the loss of its investment. You would do well to find those clones quickly, before the HIVE loses its patience."

"O-of c-c-course, s-sire! I'm on it r-ri-ight a-away!" Officer Ryan scurried out of the man's sight. The mysterious figure stood there, glaring at the door as if wishing to reduce said object to a pile of ashes.

"…The HIVE's plans will _not_ be set back. The HIVE _always_ prevails."

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! There are several points I would like to touch upon: firstly, the OB-005 clone. This is not, and I repeat, _not_ a political statement. I am speaking purely from a historical viewpoint, as this story is set three hundred years in the future. President Obama has gone down into history because he was the first black president; it made perfect sense to me that some people would attempt to clone him.

Secondly, the names. I did not name the clones after the Titans (with the exception of Rich and Logan), because they are not the Titans themselves. They are their own individuals, and I felt that those names - Will, Danielle, and Caity - suited them better.

Thirdly, I have nothing against the names Lucy didn't like - in fact, my younger sister is named Taylor and my baby sister is named Sarah! No, I merely wanted a name that is not very common in our time.

In the meanwhile... please continue on, my dear readers!


	3. A Day in the Lives

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, however the OCs are mine.

* * *

**A Day in the Lives**

"Rise an' shine, dearies!" Mama's cheery voice rang throughout the old house. "Today's gon' be a busy day! We goin' ter Child Services ta get y'all registered as my foster kiddies! I got yer breakfast ready, it's pancakes – a great way ta start a day!"

Logan had already jumped out of the bed upon hearing Mama's voice, and by the time she finished talking, he had put on clothes, ran downstairs, and was sitting impatiently on the couch. As usual, Danielle wasn't too far behind. Mama chuckled at the sight of the two.

"Oh, dearies, y'all could never wait! We gonna wait fer the others, though, an' after breakfast I'm gonna help ya put on matchin' clothes." At her words, Logan and Danielle looked down at their beautifully mismatched clothes and pouted. "Oh, don't be sad! Y'all did a _great_ job this time! Almost got it right!" The woman grinned when she saw that her attempt to cheer up the two teenagers succeeded.

Humming, Mama turned back to the pancakes as Will and Rich entered the room, seating themselves besides Logan and Danielle. Mama piled the pancakes on the six plates; as she began ferrying the food to the coffee table, Caity appeared and immediately went to help Mama. "Oh, thank ya, dearie! Be careful, don't wanna be droppin' those an' hurtin' yerself!"

Soon, the six of them had finished their breakfast, for the clones quickly mastered the art of eating and drinking without creating too much mess, although Logan and Danielle still occasionally got too excited and spilled the food or beverage. Mama clapped her hands for their attention. "Okay, dearies! Only a few things ta do, an' we'll be ready ta go ter Child Services! Logan, would ya please go change yer pants? Put on jeans, an' yer lookin' great! Danielle, jest switch fer a green shirt! Dark green shoulda do it. Caity, I'll help ya brush yer hair, an' Will an' Rich, please find matchin' shoes. Rich, get some matchin' socks, too. Y'all getting' better with clothes, I'm so proud of y'all!"

The five teenagers grinned happily under Mama's beaming smile before they all ran upstairs: "Oy, no runnin'! Don't want y'all fallin' an' breakin' yer necks!" The elderly woman shook her head before she got up from her recliner and followed them upstairs.

* * *

"_Ooohh_…"

Five pairs of wide eyes stared at the glittering cityscape. Ever since Mama had found them a month ago, this was the furthest from the house the clones had ever gone and they were enjoying every moment of it: unbelievably _tall_ skyscrapers that went on _forever,_ hover cars zooming through tunnels made of magnetic force fields suspended high in the sky between buildings, and many, many, _many_ people milling around on the ground! Amazing!

"Dearies, we be takin' the subway. I'll show y'all how ter pay an' everythin', jest keep an eye on Mama!" The woman gently nudged the straying Danielle back towards the herd before ushering the others through the stairs that led underground. The amazed clones gasped when they saw the zipping trains speed past them noiselessly over the magnetic tracks.

Mama guided them through the machines that ate up their dollars (wonderful!), and past the doorway that used to be a solid, glossy door (how did it disappear?), and towards the line for the ride to downtown. "Okay, dearies, when the train gets here, I want y'all ter stay with me! Stay real close, an' don't wander off!" Mama explained, and she pulled Will back as a train arrived, halting to a smooth and silent stop. The doors opened, and Mama immediately shooed the teenagers inside, guiding them to seats midway from the doors.

"It's a short ride ter downtown, an' from there, we goin' ta Child Services. About fifteen minutes. Jest sit tight, kiddies," but the clones were too busy gazing with wonderment at the other people around them to reply. Mama smiled as she sat back in her seat, keeping a sharp eye out should trouble arise.

* * *

The ride went smoothly, and before the teenagers had an adequate chance to soak in the new sights, the group ended up in the lobby of a brightly-light, well-cleaned, and largely empty room; all the hallmarks of a government building. "…Yes, I'm here ter register those dearies here as my foster kiddies. Already talked with Supervisor Chunn, cleared up stuff," Mama patiently explained to the secretary as the clones wandered around the room, peering at the paintings, observing the few people in the lobby, and loitering besides Mama, staring at the clearly bored secretary.

"Registering the brats, I see. Hmm–mhm. Okay, just go to room 212. To get there, take the stairs on the right. Ask for Mrs. Spinner." Mama nodded her thanks at the woman as she steered the teenagers towards the stairs.

* * *

Mrs. Spinner had a companion, which surprised Mama. "Who're you? Ain't met ya before," she asked the man, holding out her hand. The man nodded curtly as he shook her hand.

"Officer Ryan," was all he gave before he took his place behind Mrs. Spinner's seat. The elderly woman in question smiled upon seeing Mama.

"Oh, Mama, it's so good to see you again. I'm surprised, however, to get a notification from Mr. Chunn – you're fostering again?" Mama nodded. "Ah, I assume those must be the lucky kids. Would you please sit down?" Mrs. Spinner motioned towards the six seats she had set up beside her desk. The clones sat down, and Mama followed suit, carefully avoiding eye contact with the sour-faced officer.

"Okay, as you know, we'll start with the basics. Name and age?" Mrs. Spinner's hand hovered over a piece of paper as Mama cleared her throat.

Pointing at Logan, she answered, "That's Logan Brown. Twelve years old." The woman nodded as she jotted down on the paper. Mama turned to Will. "Here's his older brother, Will Brown. Will's sixteen," and after Mrs. Spinner finished writing, Mama continued, "An' here be the twins – fraternal, as ya can see – Danielle an' Caity Barker; they're fourteen years old. An' last o' all, Rich Johnson. He's fifteen."

Mrs. Spinner nodded. "Thank you, Mama. We'll be taking their fingerprints before continuing with the rest. Mr. Johnson, if you would please –" She stopped upon seeing Mama's confused expression. "Yes?"

"Takin' fingerprints already? Last I remembered, by now we usually be takin' health records an' other stuff?" The old woman nodded.

"Yes, however, due to an investigation, Officer Ryan here has requested a copy of the children's fingerprints, so we're going slightly out of official protocol now. I trust that won't be too much trouble." Mama shook her head.

"Oh, no, that won't be; please go ahead," However she didn't look happy. As Rich moved to stand up, Mama gently tugged him back down. He blinked in confusion, but didn't say anything. Officer Ryan stepped forward, his hand on the holster as he asked, "Ma'am, the fingerprints?"

Mrs. Spinner gave a small start as Mama smiled. "Oh, but ya already took them! Look, Alice's holdin' them! That's done, Officer? We goin' on ter other things?" Mrs. Spinner glanced down, confused, at the blank piece of paper she held. Officer Ryan simply parted his mouth, staring at Mama quizzically.

"Oh… my apologies, Mama. Officer, she is correct – here are the fingerprints." Mrs. Spinner handed the officer the blank paper as she stood. "Okay, everything's nearly done; we just need to check their health." Mama smiled as she motioned for the teenagers to follow her outside along with Mrs. Spinner. Officer Ryan blinked blearily at the paper before he shrugged, pocketed it, and left the room.

Heading down the hall, Mrs. Spinner turned towards the teenagers and Mama as she explained, "Only this to do, and everything's all set. We'll take their height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, and a small sample of blood. All this you already know, naturally, Mama."

Mama nodded as she replied, "Of course, dear Alice! But why be we doin' that? We already did those! See? On their files, their information already there," she pointed at the unfilled papers. Mrs. Spinner looked down, obviously surprised.

"Would you look at that! My apologies again, Mama, I don't know why I spaced out so badly. Well, you said you already set everything else with Mr. Chunn?" Getting a nod from Mama, Mrs. Spinner continued, "Well, I guess that's it, then. Those kids are now in your charge."

Mama beamed as she clapped her hands. "Dearies, that's all done with! There be a shoppin' center nearby, we can go buy y'all new clothes! Alice, the way out's there, right?" She pointed down a hallway and Mrs. Spinner nodded. "Thanks, sweetie! C'mon fer a visit anytime! Mama misses ya!"

Mrs. Spinner grinned, "Of course! Though I may be slightly late…" Both women roared in laughter at the private joke as the clones stared, clearly bewildered about something. Mama hugged Mrs. Spinner tightly before herding her pack outside, waving merrily at Mrs. Spinner. Once they all were gone, the wrinkled woman blinked again, glancing down at the files.

"Hmm. I'm pretty sure I didn't fill out them, but they're already filled out…" Shrugging, she strode back towards her office.

* * *

After several (long for some, far too short for others) hours at various clothing stores – and being delighted by the huge crowds – the group found themselves at the food court. Rich cleared his throat, glancing at Mama. "Hmm? What's on yer mind?"

"Mama… back in there, with the lady…" Rich trailed off, hesitant. His foster brothers and sisters looked on, and he swallowed before continuing, "They didn't take our… fingerprints?"

"That's when they put ink on yer fingers – right here," Mama pointed at her fingertips, "An' press 'em down on a piece'a paper. It's ta keep track of people, y'see." Upon seeing the expression on Rich's face, Mama prompted him with a "_hmm?_"

The boy spoke, "The lady said she would… but she didn't. She didn't take our… height and weight, either."

Mama nodded as she answered, "Takin' yer height an' weight means measurin' how tall ya are in feet an' inches an' how much ya weigh in pounds. It's common information, y'see. Most people knows how tall they are an' how much they weigh – though many of 'em deny their weight." She titled her head as Rich's face grew serious. "That not the answer ya lookin' fer? What is it?"

The boy frowned. "The lady said she would… but she didn't, and she thought she did. But she didn't…" Mama grinned.

"Ah, Alice's gettin' old! She's almost seventy, y'know!" She laughed, but sobered up to add, "Don't be worryin', dearies! Less information they get about y'all, the better. Yer hologram bracelets ain't enough ter keep y'all secret! I don't wanna be thinkin' about what if they got yer blood!" Clucking, she shook her head and clapped her hands. "Now! Y'all hungry, dearies? I am!"

Getting a chorus of "yes!" from the teenagers, Mama led them towards a fast food building (a specific fast food chain which amazingly had survived the last three centuries) marked by two golden arcs.

* * *

After chowing down on a lunch of greasy hamburgers, salty french fries, and carbonated soft drinks (some things just don't change, even after three hundred years), Mama led the teenagers along a different route back home. "Okay, we'll take a bus, an' get off at another stop, an' we gonna board another bus there. I'll teach y'all how ter pay fer the ride," Mama explained as they waited at the bus stop. "Oh, here comes one! Get up – y'all have yer money? Good! Jest follow Mama!"

The hover bus came to a sudden, silent stop half a foot above the ground, and when the door opened, Mama led the clones onto the bus and showed them how to deposit their coins in the pay box, and then after bidding a good day to the robotic driver, she found seats near the middle. Naturally, the clones went straight for the seats next to the windows; Mama chuckled as she sat down beside Caity. "Hang on, dearies, we gonna enter a tunnel. It's illegal ta drive outside those tunnels, y'see. Those tunnels keep us from crashin' into each other, it's plenty safe."

The bus rose and steered upwards toward the mentioned tunnel; the magnetic field was also combined with light - because magnetic fields are invisible - and by shining coloured light into the field, humans could see them. As a result, the magnetic field looked like a thin wall of shimmering water, and when the bus neared it, the field split open wide enough to admit a large automobile. The vehicle neared it, waiting for a clear spot in traffic; as soon as one became available, the bus tore towards it. However, the hole in the magnetic field didn't close behind the bus; several hover cars left through the field and lowered towards the shopping center, before the hole in the field disappeared.

"Oooh…" The clones gazed in wonderment out the windows at the ground underneath them. The people were as small as pebbles! The bus smoothly weaved between the cars and huge trucks, taking left or right turns when needed, and the teenagers shifted their stare from the ground to the towering skyscrapers at their sides. Mama explained, "Tunnels ain't allowed ter go above the buildin's, y'see. That space be reserved fer airplanes an' space shuttles. Ah, we be nearin' our first stop, get yer bags."

The bus neared the wall of the field, and as before, a hole opened; the vehicle smoothly left the tunnel and hovered to a slow stop barely above the ground. "_Kzzt_ – We have arrived at Titans Tower Bay, please embark or disembark as necessary. Have a pleasant day! – _kzztt!_" The robotic driver announced, and Mama led the group towards the door, helping them out of the bus; Logan was so little, Mama had to lift him down to the ground.

After additional passengers had boarded the bus, the door closed and the vehicle lifted up towards the tunnel. The clones stared at it until it had disappeared amongst the traffic. Mama sat down on the bench. "Our bus ain't gonna be here fer ten minutes, feel free ta take a look 'round, jest don't wander off."

Danielle and Caity immediately sat down besides Mama, their arms ladled with bags. Rich selected to stand besides the trio, and Will and Logan went to the fence behind the bench, staring at the ocean beneath. Mama turned around, and upon seeing the boys' amazed expression, smiled. "We're on a pier, y'see. Here be the bay… out there be all ocean, an' see that island? That's the Titans Island. The buildin' shaped like a T, that's the Titans Tower."

The three teenagers with Mama turned around to stare at the tower. For the next moment, it was quiet as the oceanic breeze ruffled their hair and clothes, as the waves crashed against the pillars, and as the seagulls screeched high above. (With the introduction of magnetic tunnels, bird accidents increased as the birds would smack against the mostly invisible walls of the tunnels and hover crafts as they entered or departed – every once in a while, an unfortunate bird would get trapped in the tunnels.)

Logan turned his head backwards as he asked, "Mama, what's so special about the Titans Tower?" The woman chuckled.

"Oh, that be the headquarters of the Teen Titans! That's a team of superheroes, y'see. Y'all know about superheroes, ya hear all about 'em on the holovision, don'tcha?" The clones nodded. "Yep, the Teen Titans be superheroes; a huge network, in fact. Teams in every country all over world… United States had _five_ teams once upon a time! But thirty years ago…" Mama frowned as she continued, "Weird, really weird… every Titan – an' that's a_ lot,_ lemme tell yer – jest up an' disappeared! No Titan seen since. The cops tried ta get in that tower there, but it locked 'em out. Ever since then, people livin' near here been swearin' up an' down that the tower's haunted. Makes a terrible racket at night."

Will turned his head around. "All Teen Titans went away?" Mama shook her head.

"No, they didn't go away. They_ disappeared._ I remember this one Titan, Tigra, she was doin' an interview on the holovision, an' before our very eyes, she disappeared in a flash of light! Hasn't been seen or heard from since." Again, silence rang as the group stared at the tower.

* * *

What? They're here? They're here! The Titans! The tower trembled with excitement. They had returned! Everything would be all right, and the tower would finally have somebody to share the secret with!

…Well? Why weren't they coming? They're just across the waters! W-what? They're entering that bus? N-no, wa-wait! Wait!

TITANS! COME BACK!

…

…

…_They didn't hear_…

* * *

Officer Ryan suppressed a groan. So far, the police department had failed to find the clones and their agents… weren't happy, to say the least. The junior officers shook violently as the more experienced officers either trembled along with them or settled for glaring at the purple-cloaked figure.

"The HIVE is not pleased," he snarled. "The clones cost… quite a _bit,_ and you expect us to believe that you have been unable to find those _creatures_ for nearly three months?"

The police chief swallowed before speaking up, "Sire, beg your pardon, but we are limited by rules. We have helped you all we could by allowing you to run the clones' fingerprints through the system and look through our blood samples, but I'm afraid that if nothing has been found, it's not there."

The cloaked man sneered. "Once we have located the clones, you may rest assured that we will _cleanse_ this useless department and replace it with a more effective one." His threat hanging in the tense air, the figure whirled and departed swiftly through the door.

The police chief sighed before announcing, "Well, this investigation isn't off yet, but it's no longer our primary concern. Compare any new fingerprints or DNA samples against the clones, but that's all we can do." With that, the weary man got up and left the conference room. As the officers trickled out, Officer Ryan searched his pocket for a five-dollar bill – he was hungry, perhaps he could buy something from a nearby fast food place's five-dollar menu – and withdrew a piece of blank paper.

The man frowned as he stared, puzzled, at the paper. "What the…?" Turning the paper over, he saw that it was an unfilled fingerprint form. _Why would I have a fingerprint form in my pocket?_ Officer Ryan stood still for a moment, but nothing came up. Must've pocketed it the other day and forgot. He shrugged, crumbled up the paper and tossed it in a wastebasket as he exited the room.

* * *

A woman let loose a groan and winced at the sound of her voice. So… _hoarse._ Her eyelids were so heavy, and her mouth felt so dry. How long had she been asleep? Or was she knocked out during a mission? She finally opened her eyes, and blinked blearily as her swimming vision slowly focused.

"W-where am I…?"

"My dear lady," the woman gasped and strained her head to her left to stare at the masked man, "You've been in deep hibernation for thirty years. Please allow me to be the first to welcome you to today."

"W-what? Th-thirty… _years?_" She managed to gasp out.

"Please don't stress yourself; your body has been frozen for thirty years. Allow it to awaken – or more accurately, thaw – before you can expect to be back to your usual shape." The man stood up from his seat on the top of the steel desk and moved over towards the two other casket-like containers that she hadn't noticed before. Sensing her unvoiced question, he answered, "Two of your teammates are in those sleeping chambers also. I believe they are waking up as well. Please rest as you deem necessary while I tend to them."

An hour later, the three confused friends had been awakened and thawed out enough to sit up and eat their first meal in thirty years. The masked man returned to his seat on the top of the desk in the middle of the cold, metal room as he continued. While he spoke, the woman gazed around the room. It was a small, windowless room, with three sleeping chambers, a large monitor above – apparently for tracking the status of the sleepers, the woman assumed – and a small steel desk on which the masked man was sitting.

"As I said, it has been thirty years since you three were put into hibernation," he began, but one of the two men cut him off.

"What? Put into hibernation? We didn't sign up for one! Last thing I remember, we were on a mission to receive a stolen artifact for the National Museum!" The masked man nodded.

"Yes, however during that mission, you were attacked, and I managed to recover your bodies, and... because of certain intelligence I had at the hand, I deemed it wise and necessary to place you into hibernation. My apologies for any hassle."

The trio stared at him. The man's masked face showed nothing, not even a quiver of a face muscle. It was perfectly still. "Is there a question you have?"

The same man who had questioned the masked man glared as he asked, "Yes, actually. Where did you think you got the right to put three superheroes into hibernation without our, and the government's, permission? And where is the rest of our team? They wouldn't stand aside and let their teammates disappear!"

The masked man bowed his head for a moment before he answered, "Yes. Yes… I'm afraid you won't find this to your liking. Shortly after I put you into hibernation – barely a day later – your team was murdered," His voice rose in volume only enough to be heard over the woman's gasp and the men's enraged exclamations, "And soon, not only your team was murdered, but every single Teen Titan in the world disappeared… or so the public believed. I know in fact that they all have been murdered – all except you three."

He gazed at the three stunned superheroes' faces. "That's right, you three are the last surviving Titans in the whole world."

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, I believe that McDonald's would survive for centuries. Love or hate it, McDonald's is a clever business which caters to the demands of the population. That is what keeps a company alive.

Some of you might not like how I'm portraying the police department in this story - rest assured, that is not my opinion of the police at all. My uncle is an officer himself, so I'm fully aware of the dangers our police officers brave everyday. Just keep in mind, this story is set three centuries in the future, which - sadly - gave the HIVE enough time to infiltrate and corrupt select cities' police departments. Unforuntately, this particular one happened to be amongst them.

Lastly, I would like to point out the chapter's title: _A Day in the Lives_. The fans of the Wolfman-Perez era (1980s) probably would recognize this - it is the name of issue 8, widely held to be _the_ issue which helped launch the _New Teen Titans_ to the top of the bestselling list for the next sixteen years. Quite naturally, I had to pay tribute to this - and it's such a good title!

I certainly hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers!


	4. Clones: Humans or Animals?

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, though the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Clones: Humans or Animals?**

The frisbee whizzed through the air, and the white disc was caught by a hand. Will laughed as he spun around, releasing the frisbee, and watched it zoom over Rich's head. Rich ran after it, but Danielle leapt and caught it before he could. She quickly flickered it in the direction of Logan, who reached out to grab it… but Rich caught it before the disc reached Logan!

Their laughter and hollers carried over the wind to Caity, who was sitting under a nearby tree. She had tired of the game – really, they could hardly expect her to play for _hours_ nonstop – and elected to rest for a few minutes before rejoining. She stood up, brushing the dried grass off her shorts, and she paused upon hearing angry voices.

"…stupid wimp. Whattya thinkin'? That's right, a _n_- can't think, y' idiot…"

Caity jumped, frightened, when the group of teenagers nearby howled and threw fists at each other. The girl ran over towards her fellow clones, and they all stared, dumbstruck, at the fighting mob. Foul language drifted over, and their eyes widened. Mama _never_ let them say the bad words – every time those words was spoken on the holovision, she would change the channel.

Danielle whispered, "I don't like it here… I'm hungry, let's go home for lunch." Her foster sister and brothers nodded and they all swiftly walked towards the gate, but the mob had spread out, and was blocking the route. The clones paused, and then turned towards the fence. Clambering over it, they ended up in the alley next to Mama's house.

Sure enough, they could hear a cheery voice in the kitchen humming as they deactivated their hologram bracelets. Logan grinned. "Hi, Mama! We're hungry! Is lunch ready?" The old woman chuckled.

"O'course! Jest sit down, yer lunch's almost ready! Y'all eatin' hot dogs an' chips, perfect fer this summer day!" Mama winked at them as she filled six glasses with water. "C'mere, Danielle, help yer Mama out."

Once they had settled the food on the coffee table and begun devouring the lunch, Mama asked, "Whassup? Y'all lookin' down."

The clones glanced at each other before Rich answered, "In the park… some teens called each other really bad names, and they started fighting." Mama clucked her tongue, shaking her head.

Will piped up, "What's a '_n_-'?"

The woman startled, dropping the hot dog onto her lap. "What? Where'd y'all hear that word? _Never_ say it again!" The teenagers leaned back, shocked at the tone. Mama sighed. "That's a _nasty_ word… don't be goin' 'round sayin' it, especially you, Will. Y'all hear me?"

They nodded, and Caity asked, "But why?"

Mama let loose another long-winded sigh as she placed her lunch on the plate on the coffee table and folded her hands in her lap. "It's a bad word fer blacks, y'see."

Their blank faces told her all she needed to know. "I haven't taught y'all about skin color yet? It be a big issue even still today… some people jest refuse ter change," she explained, "Long time ago, about five, six hundred years ago, the whites – that's people with skin like yer, Rich – enslaved the blacks – people with skin like me an' Will." Mama paused, rubbing her face. "Well, the country split into two an' went ta war with each other. The north won, an' the slaves were freed, but they still were bein' treated badly. 'Bout a hundred years later, the blacks finally got first-class citizenship along with the whites, an' soon that happened ter the brownies, reddies, an' yellowies."

The five teenagers blinked, still confused. Mama nodded. "Mark's yellow, y'see. Lucy's white like you, Rich. Scientists found out that we all one race, but some people jest won't change their thinkin'. Some thought that we're different races, but that's silly. Some people jest like an excuse ta hate somebody if they be different."

The woman sighed. "That's why y'all gotta wear yer bracelets. Y'all don't look normal, an' it's not jest yer skins. Rich… ya got white eyes. Nobody got white eyes, it ain't been heard o' before. Will, yer hair be dark green an' Logan got green skin… that ain't normal. Danielle an' Caity… yer got those jewels in yer heads, an' y'all don't have pupils in yer eyes!" Mama pointed at her eyes. "Pupils be small black dots, here, y'see? Caity don't even have irises! That's colored circles, see?" Mama paused as Danielle opened her mouth.

"But, Mama, people have green and blue eyes! Right?" The woman nodded.

"Yes, but not like yer. Yer be blue irises with green scleras… sclera, that's the white part o' the eye, y'see, though fer you, y' scleras are green. Caity, dearie, ya got _three_ eyes – never heard of somebody with more than two!" The girl looked troubled, and Mama continued, "The funny thing is, yer third eye ain't in the middle of yer head like one would think, but on yer left side, above yer other eye," Mama tapped her temple, "An' I never seen red eyes! Yes, yer right eye be green, but ya don't have pupils an' irises, an' that's why people would be mean ter ya. People would hurt y'all because y'all don't look like everybody else."

Mama sat back in her recliner as she gazed at her foster children. "That why y'all wear yer bracelets, so you can look like normal people, an' they won't hurt y'all." The clones looked worried. "I'm so sorry, dearies."

Rich looked up at the sound Mama's gentle voice. "Does… does that mean Danielle and Caity are… yellow? Their skin color is a little like Mark's." The woman chuckled.

"Oh, no, they ain't yellow! Never seen their skin tone before… mebbe they be a new color… goldies!"

Logan hopped up. "And – and – I-I'm a greenie!" Mama smiled fondly at him.

"That right, dearie. Yer a greenie!"

* * *

"…I've been busy hacking my way into the Human Genetic Engineering department's files," Mark spoke into the receiver, "And I found out that it was a private laboratory under the Central Park, not a government one like the news led us to believe."

Mama's voice floated out of the phone. "Thank ya, Mark. That's interestin'." Mark frowned; his former foster mother didn't seem too happy.

"Mama, did something happen?" The woman sighed.

"I hadda explain ter the kiddies that they look different."

"Oh." That explained a lot, Mark thought. Mama must have taken it hard. "Mama…" She cut him off, continuing as if she hadn't heard him.

"Oh, their faces! They looked so sad when I told 'em that their eyes an' skins an' faces were different! Especially the girls…" Her voice shook; Mark opened his mouth, but she added, "It's not fair, Markie. They can't help lookin' the way they do, an' they gotta be careful because they're clones an' different." She ended in a forlorn note.

"Mama, don't worry about it. Everything will turn out all right – it always does," Mark was pleased to hear her agree in a happier voice, and he remembered the reason he had called. "Oh yes, Mama, as I said, I was hacking into files, and I stumbled across a firewall, but I did manage to find out some interesting information about our clones."

"Oh? What's that?" Mama sounded interested.

"Well, you know their identification numbers –"

"NT-37, CB-91, CB-104, SR-110, an' SR-112," Mama rattled off. Mark nodded, even though Mama couldn't see him through the phone.

"That's right. I discovered whose the DNA sources belonged to," Mark swallowed; his palms had suddenly became sweaty. "N stands for Nightwing, T for Troia, C for Cyborg, B for Beast Boy, S for Starfire, and R for Raven."

Mark waited; Mama didn't say anything. A long moment stretched before Mama replied, "They're the first Teen Titans, aren't they, Mark?"

"That's right, Mama."

"But who was Nightwing an' Troia? Never heard of 'em before."

Mark cleared his throat. "You have, Mama. You see, not many people realize that Nightwing was, in fact, Robin I. Troia was Wonder Girl I – they both changed their codenames, but the news continued to call them Robin I and Wonder Girl I, so even after their deaths, they were still known as Robin I and Wonder Girl I instead of Nightwing and Troia."

Another long, silent moment. Mama finally spoke, "I see. Titans clones, eh?" She chuckled. "Who'd've thought? Me fosterin' Titans clones!"

Mark smiled. "Yes, who would've thought."

"Markie, that be a secret. O'course, Lucy can know, but don't be tellin' it ter anybody else, an' that includes the clones. Let me handle that," Mama's voice was stubborn, so Mark knew it would be fruitless to argue. "I gotta go, Lucy's here ta pick up the kiddies an' take 'em ter the mall. When are ya comin' ta visit?"

Mark chuckled. "Soon, Mama, I promise. Have a good day."

"Yer day be good, too!" He could hear the smile in her voice as she hung up.

Mark sighed. "Clones of Titans…"

* * *

"Thank goodness the tower's still in commission," The man in the white-and-magenta bodysuit commented, "Otherwise where'd we go?" The large man in navy-and-teal suit nodded as his telepathic voice blasted out:

"_I don't even wanna think 'bout that. Let's check the records, they oughta have somethin' 'bout the disappearance an',_ mebbe, _the murders._" The first man nodded as they opened the creaking door leading to the surveillance center. The woman trailed behind them, gazing at the thick layer of dust on the floor and the maze of webs that clung to the walls.

"Hey, Jon? Could you start the computer up? It won't recognize me," The man moved aside as Jonathon moved forward. He typed in several keys, and frowned.

"_It ain't recongizin' me, either, Jay. Lemme try somethin',_" He typed in a few more things, and let out a small telepathic 'aha!' "_Ha, looks like I've still got my touch. Here ya go, speedie._"

Jay rolled his eyes at Jonathon, muttering, "You know _perfectly_ well that my superhero name is _not_ 'speedie,' it's '_Rapid,_'" As he moved forward to the monitor. The woman shook her head – they're such nerds, as always. Or was it dorks? English never had been her strong suit. Oh, dear, the dust… she glanced at the two men and smirked. Her immense feathery wings unfurled and she flapped hard, sending the dust up in a storm.

"Hey! Hey! Not funny, lady! Stop that!" Jay hollered, and the woman's wings stilled themselves. The dust lazily drifted down, covering the trio.

"My apologizes… but the dust was so… _dirty._" Jay's face smacked into his palm, groaning as Jonathon chuckled, if not slightly sarcastically.

"_Nice one, cutie. Funny, really funny._"

The woman nodded. "It is my duty," She solemnly said, and opened her mouth to add more, but Jay held up his hand, halting her.

"Hey, _shh._ I just got the security system up, better be quiet while the tower checks us over." All three stood in silence until the monitor beeped,

"_Kzzt_ – Three presences: Jay Allen, Rapid; Jonathon Miller, Psy; and Hansika Sarin, Healer. Confirmed Titans. Access allowed. – _kzztt!_"

"Good ol' tower, still hasn't lost its touch," Jay smiled as he patted the wall beside him. Jonathon shook his head.

"_Y'know as well as I do that computers don't die, they jest lose their power. Always easy ter get 'em up an' runnin' again._" The woman, presumably Hansika, spoke up:

"Forgive me, but is the tower not three hundred years old? Machines _do_ die at an old age," She shot a quizzical glance at the two men. Jonathon cleared his throat.

"_Yes, that's true, but don't forget, sweetie, the tower's computer's always bein' updated! Well, while the Titans were still 'round, that is. So right now, it's only thirty years outdated, easy ter fix an' still runnin' fine!_" Hansika answered with an "_ahh,_" as Jay returned to typing on the keyboard.

"Hmm. That's weird." His two friends turned their attention to him, and Jay continued, "There's nothing – and I mean _nothing_ – about the disappearances of the Titans. Look, here's the records – 'October 12, 2279… Rapid, Psy, and Healer have disappeared. We are searching for them,' and here's the latest one; 'October 23, 2279… Titans all over the world have been disappearing. We are searching for them. Tigra disappeared today, along with Cozma. Beware the –' … That's where it ends."

Sobering silence emerged supreme as the three superheroes said nothing, staring forlornly at the monitor. "Then… we need to solve the mystery on our own," Hansika softly spoke, gazing at her two companions. They glanced at each other before nodding solemnly.

* * *

"I-I'm afraid I don't understand, s-sire," An elderly scientist choked out, quavering in unison with his colleagues. The figure in the purple cloak that was widely recognized as the trademark of the HIVE spat out,

"The HIVE have been… unsuccessful in locating the clones still, and this is greatly hampering our plans, even more so with the appearance of three superheroes who claim to be Teen Titans, so the HIVE have decided to go ahead with our back-up plan; tell me, what of those imperfect clones?"

The scientist paled. "Th-the imperfect clones? Oh! Most of them have died, as you know, s-sire, however several survived, but they're so unstable, we're destroying them –" The cloaked man cut him off.

"The HIVE has uses for those clones. Hand them over immediately."

The man argued, "Beg your apologizes, sire, but that is not possible. The clones are highly unstable; at best, they would only last a few weeks before they –"

"The HIVE is aware of that. Hand them over."

The man hesitated. His colleagues all began muttering amongst themselves. "…As you wish, sire. We will fetch the clones BN- 66, CN-5, CS-54, CR-70, NR-130, SB-47, and SN-23."

"And BR-13?"

The group of the scientists shared nervous glances. The spokesman cleared his throat. "Ah... you know the history behind BR-13; we would... prefer that he is left alone."

The robed man shook his head. "No. We will use BR-13 as well. You may choose to peacefully surrender the clone, or we will force your hand."

The scientist spokesman scowled, however he nodded jerkily.

The figure nodded. "Excellent." The scientists hurried out of the room, obviously dreading any prolonged time with this man. After they all had gone, he whispered to himself, "Those thrice-damned Titans will join their brethren among the dead, and the HIVE will finally have those five clones in the palm of its hand!"

* * *

"Look! Baby cats!" Danielle squealed as she grabbed Caity's arm and pointed with the other hand at the mewling kittens. Lucy grinned.

"Tha's kittens. Yah, they're cute." Lucy picked up one from the cage, cradling it in her arms. "C'mere, it's a-ok ta pet it, jest be careful." She was showing the two thrilled girls how to pet it gently when the boys discovered the puppies.

"Baby dogs!"

"Tha's puppies."

"Oooh, Lucy, could you call Mama and ask her if we could keep one?" Logan had run up to Lucy, peering up at her hopefully.

The redheaded woman chuckled, "Nah, Momma ain't a big pet person. Sure ain't a cat person!"

Danielle blinked at Lucy and asked the dreaded question that every child had asked at least a million times in their lives: "Why?"

"Ah don't know. Ah think it's git sumthin' ter do with the neighbors' cat. Tha' cat's _evil._ Mighty old, too. When Ah wuz a foster kid, that cat used ter beat us up, especially Mark. Ah'm sure surprised it's still 'round, Ah'd sure hoped it'd kicked off ages ago." Lucy looked down at the purring tabby furball in her arms. "Tha' kitten's mighty cute, though. Still, Momma never gonna let y'all have pets. She's too old fer tha'."

Logan pouted as he returned to his foster brothers who were playing with the happily yipping puppies. Danielle had returned to the kitten cage and picked up a grey-blue kitten. Caity continued to pet the tabby in Lucy's arm. The shop keeper hurried forward, clearly intent on shooing the teenagers away from the kittens and puppies. Why some shop keepers are like that, Lucy would never know. Wasn't the point of open cages to invite the customers to handle the animals and decide whether to buy them? Lucy decided to take the kids out before the peeved man could reach them. "Boys an' gals, put the kittens an' puppies back in their cages, an' let's go look at the rest o' the mall."

They did so after some prodding, and once they left the pet store, Will whined, "What about food? I'm hungry." Lucy chortled.

"Tha's right! Ah'm mighty hungry, too, an' Ah didn't notice! C'mon, Ah'll lead y'all ter the food court. Whatcha want? There's burgers, hot dogs, fries, deli sandwiches, pizza, pasta, an' Chinese." The woman glanced behind her at the clones' puzzled expression, and grinned good-naturedly. "Momma ain't fed y'all Chinese yet? Oho, it sure is good! Ah'll take y'all there fer lunch, it's mah treat."

When they arrived at the food court, Lucy sent the teenagers out with the all-important job: securing tables for eating. "Ah'll be there soon with yer food! Don't fret, jest be patient!"

Rich swiftly found two empty tables, and as they all sat down – after the auto-cleaning laser machine set upon the tables cleaned the filthy surfaces in a literal flash – a boy around Rich's age swaggered towards them. "Yo! Homies, y'all seen those animals 'round? If ya help me find those beasts, mebbe I'll remember y'all an' give ya a small part of the reward!"

The five clones blinked at him in confusion. Will mustered up enough courage to speak up. "…What?" The smug teenager rolled his eyes as he tugged at his impressively baggy pants.

"Those beasts! Ain't y'all seen the news? Says those animals are here in the city, 'round this location. I'm gonna catch 'em an' turn 'em in an' get rich! Y'all hear me? I'll be the one t' catch them! Keep an eye out on the news fer Tommy Hazard, tha's me!" Sneering slightly, he strutted away, zeroing in the next table full of children he could intimidate. The teenagers glanced at each other just as Lucy came up, arms laden with meals.

"Who wuz tha'? Ah sure don't like how he looks. What'd he say t' y'all?" Lucy frowned as she sat down, pulling a strand of red hair towards her mouth and chewing on it.

Logan turned his innocent eyes upon Lucy as he dutifully answered, "He said his name was Tommy Hazard."

Danielle hastened to add: "He said he's going to catch the animals on the news and get rich. He told us that if we helped him to catch the animals, he'll give us a small part of the reward." Danielle frowned as she continued, "But what did he mean? Are there animals that escaped from somewhere?"

Lucy's green eyes flashed angrily as she spat out the strand of hair and snapped, "Tha's not yer buziness! Go on, eat up! When y'all done, we're leavin' this place!" When the surprised clones started on their lunch, she muttered darkly to herself, "If tha' purty boy comes over again, Ah'll tell him ter kiss mah purty ass!"

However, she immediately regretted her words when Caity, who was next to her, piped up: "What does 'ass' mean?"

This was going to be tough to explain to Mama.

* * *

True to her word, Lucy escorted the teenagers out of the mall when they finished their lunch – they had loved the Chinese food, especially the fortune cookies. Lucy had laughed hysterically at her clearly questionable fortune, which proclaimed that she would find a fine woman before the end of the week. Naturally, immediately afterwards she had to tactfully steer clear from the awkward situation of explaining to the clones what was so funny about her "finding a foxy-hot chick."

"Hmm, where mah car be? This parkin' lot's so big! Ah always git lost…" Lucy clucked, a habit she picked up from Mama, as the group scanned the horizon of the seemingly endless parking lot. "Oho! There it is! Follow me, kiddies!" As soon as they reached her car, Lucy unlocked it with the clicker and commanded, "Hop in, an' don't forget ter belt up!"

Soon they were in the air, zooming towards the magnetic tunnel. Lucy kept her eyes steadfast on the nearly-invisible road as she softly spoke, "Ah'm sorry 'bout snappin' at y'all back there." They all immediately assured her that it was fine. "No, it ain't fine!"

Lucy sighed heavily. "Ah suppose Ah better explain…" She whispered to herself, "_Hope Momma won't be too upset,_" before speaking out loud. "Y'all see… tha' boy wuz talkin' 'bout the reward on the news. Ever notice how Momma always changes the channel when the news folks talk 'bout rewards?"

The teenagers nodded, but Will had the good sense to realize that Lucy couldn't glance behind while she was driving, and answered with an "_uh-huh._" The redhead swallowed before she continued, her tone bitter.

"Tha's because there's a reward fer catchin' y'all." Gasps rang out from behind her, and Lucy fought the urge to close her eyes, as she still needed them to watch the road. "Y'see… many people think clones are… _animals._" She spat out the word. "It's 'cause clones ain't born from women, but made in test tubes, an' all o' them come out lookin' freaky. Ain't bin a normal-lookin' clone yet. Usually, when the folks on the holovision are talkin' 'bout clones, they call 'em animals, creatures, an' beasts an' the like. As such, clones are viewed as property, an' they're so expensive, tha's why there's a huge reward fer catchin' y'all. Tha's why Ah don't wanna stay any longer in the mall, if some wimp's lookin' fer y'all!"

"I… I don't understand? We're animals?" Danielle whispered, her eyes full of tears. Lucy's throat tightened.

"No, y' ain't. But people_ think_ y' are," she finished softly as she took the final turn towards Mama's house. "Ah'm sorry."

Silence overtook the group as the car sped towards the exit to Mama's house.

* * *

"Mama, are we really animals?" Those were the first words out of Logan's mouth as soon as the elderly woman came out to greet the teenagers, who were still getting out Lucy's car. She halted, shocked.

Lucy sighed. "Back at the mall, this punk came up an' asked 'em ter help him catch the… '_animals,_'" Lucy looked as though she had tasted something foul. "An' Ah decided ta cut the evenin' short an' take 'em back home. On the way, Ah explained ter 'em that some people…" She trailed off, and Mama, understanding the unspoken words, hurried forward to hug Logan tightly.

"Dearie, lissen ta me. Yer_ not_ an animal, none of y'all are!" The final words were directed at the four other teenagers, who all looked equally troubled as Logan did. "Thank ya, Lucy."

The redheaded woman nodded as she turned back to her car; however, the words Caity spoke made her cringe.

"Mama, what does 'ass' mean?"

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, Lucy is a potty-mouth.

Again, I have several points which I would like to cover: firstly, cats. I grew up with cats, and while I never failed to win a cat's heart (given time), some of my friends doesn't have the same magic touch with cats. Therefore, I saw first-handed how mean cats could be. Besides, mean cats never get old.

Next, race and racism. I only brought it up to use it as a stepping-stone to the topic of clones and "naturally-born" human beings. Even three centuries in the future, they still have not perfected the art of cloning (there's just _something_ affecting the clones which they haven't managed to discover yet); it's very obvious who are clones and who are not (which is why Mama got those hologram bracelets for her kids, so they could fly under the radar). Furthermore, there is a raging debate over the humanhood of the clones, and whether they possessed souls. Half of the population believed them to be equally humans, despite being created in a test tube rather than growing in the womb. The other half claimed that since they intentionally _created_ and grew the clones - like plants - they ought be allowed to use the clones for whether they wish.

In the meanwhile... I hope you're enjoying the story so far! Please read on, my dear readers!


	5. Enter Deathstroke the Terminator

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, however the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Enter Deathstroke the Terminator**

Clucking her tongue, Mama shook her head as she hovered over the stove, inspecting the ground beef sizzling away in the pan. "That Lucy! Goodness, her an' her mouth! Teachin' the dearies such bad language!" She clucked again as she hurried around the tiny kitchen, taking out the cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa, and sour cream from the refrigerator before she returned to the stove. "Goodness! She better watch her mouth!" Although, Mama supposed that Lucy had certainly made the effort thus far: she'd only let slip one word. Perhaps she could pardon Lucy after all. Feeling more forgiving, she then removed the pan from the stove and scraped the well-cooked meat into a bowl before taking out the crispy taco shells from the oven.

As she took out the plates from the cabinet, Mama called out: "Dearies! Dinner's ready!" The woman grinned as she heard the thundering stomps as the teenagers rushed downstairs. "Feel free ter turn on the holovision, dearies! Mama's been wonderin' what's on the holovision today! Oh, Will, c'mon an' help Mama!"

Soon all six had settled comfortably on the couch – the recliner seat in Mama's case – and was happily chowing down the tacos as the holovision blasted out high-volume drama. However…

Disappointed exclaims rang throughout the room as the soap opera suddenly switched to a sallow-faced man dressed in a grey suit. He stared directly at them, his hands clasped together.

_We interrupt your program for breaking news. In New York City, three superheroes have emerged from nowhere, valiantly taking the city by storm. The mysterious heroes call themselves the Teen Titans. Is it true? Have the Teen Titans returned? See for yourself._

The scene switched to outside. The lazy summer sun was shining its evening light upon the tall skyscrapers, and the camera zoomed into on a specific squat building. "National Bank of America" carved above the doors made the building's identity clear, and a camera-shaking explosion rang out, smoke billowing out of the bank's shattered windows. Five masked men ran out, each lugging a moneybag and waving automatic guns in the air. However, before they could jump into their getaway car, a white-and-magenta blur blew them backwards. The blur skid to a stop, revealing itself to be a man wearing a bodysuit the same colors of the blur. He smirked, and before the criminals could stand up, he tore off towards them and circled them, creating a small whirlwind.

The five helpless men shrieked like little girls, but the whirlwind didn't end. However, out of the smoking building, two more masked men ran out, aiming their guns at the miniature tornado. Their fingers squeezed on the triggers…

And nothing happened. The two bewildered men shook their jammed weapons, and hollered when the guns floated out of their grasp. Before they could react, however, a man in the navy-and-teal bodysuit floated down out of the sky and waved an arm. The two men rose high above the ground, as helpless as their five dizzy comrades. The telekinetic man nodded towards the police surrounding the building, and his telepathic voice blasted out: "_That's all of them! It's safe ta go inside. Healer will take care of the injured people._"

Almost as if aiming for a dramatic entry, the winged woman swooped into the building at the telepath's last words; her immense feathery wings brushed the sides of the gaping hole. The police officers followed her, and one officer stopped by the camera; "Hey, no filming allowed! Get out of here!" The officer turned around to the telepath. "Who the hell are you guys?" The man in question smiled as he answered,

"_I'm Psy. The speedie is Rapid, an' the lovely angel is Healer. We're the Teen Titans._" The officer's eyebrows rose, clearly skeptical. The scene switched back to the reporter.

_Their claim of being Teen Titans certainly is an outrageous one. However, the question still stands: are they telling the truth? Have the Teen Titans finally returned after thirty years of silence? Stay tuned in!_

The soap opera continued as if nothing had happened. Rich turned around to face Mama. "Wow! The Teen Titans are back!" He grinned, clearly expecting her to smile as well. She didn't.

"Mhmm. So they are…" Rich's brows crashed down onto his eyes.

"Mama? You're not happy they're back?"

The woman gave a start. "Oh! Oh, dearie! O'course I'm happy they're back! But it won't be long before super villains come back, an' it's gonna be dangerous. I want y'all ta be careful, dearies, y'all hear me?"

Her foster kids all nodded and turned back to the holovision, and Mama sat back in her chair. She stared at the holovision, but didn't see the screen. Her eyes were unfocused, obviously deep in thought. _Psy? …That couldn't be. That man's still so young, an' Jon's supposed ta be in his fifties. But that man looked _jest_ like Jon. Who's he, really?_

* * *

Just as Mama had predicted, barely two days passed before super-powered criminals attacked the city. The clones stared, transfixed to the holovision as it played out the film of the battle between the self-claimed Titans and the villains. The elderly Frost Queen shrieked something clearly vulgar towards the winged Healer, but the clones didn't hear because they had asked Mama:

"Are people going to be hurt? Those bad people keep exploding apart buildings."

Mama sighed before answering, "That's the thing, dearies. Bad people try their best ter hurt other people, an' that's why we have superheroes, they stop the villains. An' no matter how hard they try, sometimes people die."

The teenagers redirected their attention to the holovision just as Frost Queen's companion, a green-skinned chimpanzee wearing a purple-and-white protective helmet and a billowing violet cape, howled, "Those accursed Powerpuff Girls! Mojo Jojo shall emerge as the supreme ruler!"

The confused children glanced back at Mama again, who shrugged. "That monkey always be talkin' 'bout Powerpuff Girls. We've no idea who they are. Despite all his big brains, that Mojo Jojo's a bit cracked, y'see."

* * *

A month have passed since the return of the Teen Titans, and the summer was slowly dying. Mama shushed her squirming foster children. "Shh! The principal gonna be here soon ter meet y'all an' we'll discuss if y'all be goin' ta school here." The five teenagers, to their credit, tried to calm down the best they could. Before Mama could scold them again, a middle-aged lady in a crisp business shirt and skirt entered the room.

"Ms. Miller? I am the principal of this fine school; please call me Mrs. Micah." With this, the lady opened the door and gestured toward it. "Please come in. I've got seats ready for you all." Mama led her pack into the room, and Mrs. Micah followed, closing the door behind her.

Mrs. Micah took her seat behind the principal's desk, and she folded her hands together. "So these are your foster children. There doesn't appear to be any previous schooling records here," she spoke, gazing at a piece of paper in her hand. Mama smiled.

"Oh, that's because they were home schooled before now! I was surprised ta get a letter tellin' me ter meet ya. I already reapplied fer the home schooling this year." The principal's eyebrows rose.

"Is that so? Hmm, please give me a moment. I'll check the system to see whether those children are indeed registered for school – what are their names?" Mama rattled them off, and while Mrs. Micah pondered over her monitor, Mama shushed her children.

"Oh, do calm down!"

"Hmm, there are no records of them anywhere in the system, Ms. Miller. Are you certain you have registered for home schooling this year?" Mama nodded.

"Yes, I'm sure! Lookie here, here be the papers they sent me!" She plucked out a blank piece of paper out of her tattered handbag and handed it to Mrs. Micah, who took it. After looking it over, the woman nodded, apparently satisfied.

"Very well, this appears authentic. I apologize for the mistake." She smiled politely and stood to shake hands with Mama before opening the door. "Have a pleasant day, Ms. Miller." Mama flashed a grin at Mrs. Micah as she herded the teenagers out of the office.

Once they left the office and walked down the hallway leading to the front doors of the school, Rich looked up at Mama. "What's home schooling?"

"That's when the government gives me guidelines ter teach y'all at home instead o' havin' y'all go ta a public school. Much safer, too, because we don't know how long yer bracelets coulda last in a day." Rich frowned; obviously he had something more to ask, but a voice halted them.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Mama turned around and came face-to-face with a white-haired man in a white tuxedo. The man smiled politely as he continued, "Are you Ms. Miller? Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Slade Wilson. I am a chairperson on the district's board. I couldn't help but overhearing that, apparently, your foster children's records are missing from the system?"

Mama blinked. "Oh? Oh! Yes, they are, but that ain't a problem, I hope?" The man's strange smile didn't falter, and Mama felt a slight shiver ran down her spine as she stared into the man's single eye.

"Oh no, ma'am, that is not an issue at all. I merely wanted to check whether it is a hassle, and to reassure you that the information will soon be put up in the system." Mama narrowed her eyes slightly.

"…Thank ya, Mr. Wilson. Now, if you'll please excuse us, we better be goin'. Hurry up, dearies." She clapped her hands for their attention, and they immediately followed her like little ducklings. The man stared at the group as they exited the doors, heading towards the nearest bus stop.

_Hmm. It may have been three centuries, but I_ never _forget a face, least of all theirs._

* * *

The tower sighed. The Titans have returned, but they were the wrong Titans – it wanted _them,_ the ones it sensed that one day. It still couldn't understand why they hadn't returned – what was going on?

…Perhaps it was time to take action – the tower certainly wished that it had taken action before Rapid, Psy, and Healer returned; it would've been so much easier without their presence. The tower didn't wish for anybody to know it secret except those Titans.

And, hidden far from prying eyes, a monitor flickered to life in a dark, moldy room. It seemed as though no human being had ever set foot inside this room. The monitor beeped as the tower put its plan into action.

Soon, it would be reunited with its Titans. _Soon_…

* * *

"You called me here for a job?" The masked man's voice rang out in the dark, empty room.

The answer came swiftly; "Yes. The HIVE received a tip-off about the clones' whereabouts. We will pay a fair amount for this job."

The masked man snorted. "All I got to do is attack them?"

"Yes, attack them. Stall them long enough for our special… _agents_ to arrive to contend with them. We trust you are capable of this task."

The mask covered the man's face, but the sneer could be heard in the voice. "Of course. I never fail a job." With this, Deathstroke strode out of the room. The unbodied voice softly rang out in the darkness.

"…Excellent. Soon the HIVE will finally proceed with the plan."

* * *

"Mama! Mark and Lucy are here!" Rich's voice rang throughout the house, and the elderly woman hurried as fast as her legs would allow from the kitchen, wringing her hands.

"Oh, dearies! Y'all be here a bit early! Ain't got yer tea ready, Lucy! Ya won't mind waitin' a few minutes? I'll get yer cookies, Mark. Jest make yerself at home!" She quickly hugged her two former foster children before hustling back to the kitchen. Rich smiled at the visitors before joining his fellow clones on the floor before the holovision.

The corner of Lucy's mouth quirked as Mark sighed. "Mama, don't you think they watch too much holovision?"

Mama's voice floated out of the kitchen: "Nonsense! First o'all, I limited their hours ta three a day! Second, they ain't watched holovision since two days ago because we were busy with other things! An' lastly, the holovision's playin' Star Wars Thirty!"

"Oooh, Star Wars?" Mark's weakness revealed itself as he hurried to join the five teenagers on the floor. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Bah! Only the revised versions o' the original twelve are worthwhile!" Scoffing, Lucy seated herself on the couch as Mama hurried towards them with the Oreos and tea. The elderly woman smiled.

"My daddy loved Star Wars. He once told me that three hundred years ago, it was _only six_ – can you imagine that? Only _six_ Star Wars movies!" Lucy shook her head in amazement – whether at the fact that there actually was once so few Star Wars movies or at the fact that now thirty-three exist; Lucy opened her mouth, obviously to voice the logic behind her amazement, but the words went unspoken due to the simple fact that right at that moment, the door was suddenly and violently blasted to pieces.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." Deathstroke's smooth voice rang throughout the stunned silence of the room. The sawdust from the door drifted down as the masked man stepped through the now empty doorway and leveled a gun at the shocked group. "However, I'm afraid that it's time to say…"

A bright light flashed, blinding them. Deathstroke's voice continued.

"…_Good night!_"

* * *

Mama moaned as her eyelids slowly slid open. She heard a voice. "Evening, madam. I must admit, I'm surprised you recovered quickly – your younger companions are all still out cold." The woman gasped before frowning thunderously.

"Ya blasted my door! An' attacked us! What was that fer?" The masked man chuckled dryly.

"Oh, I'm merely doing my job, madam. You may rest reassured that I don't bear a vendetta against you," he stepped in the line of her view. "However, if you would so kindly sit still, it would make my job so much easier."

Mama glared at Deathstroke as she sat up, rubbing her lower back. The woman glanced around, taking in her surroundings. "…We're on which buildin'?" She didn't let Deathstroke answer; she had stood up and walked towards the edge of the skyscraper, gazing down. "Ah, I see the bank. We're on one o' those corporate buildin's? Hmm… the tallest 'round… ah! We musta be on the Pepsi Company buildin'?"

Deathstroke nodded. "Very impressive, madam. Have you ever done detective work?" The woman shook her head. "No? You certainly have the eye for it. Too bad you are obviously retired. Oh, madam? Please don't attempt anything foolish like jumping off."

Mama glared at him as she went over to her still-unconscious foster children. Kneeling, she gently shook Lucy by her shoulders. "C'mon, dearie, wake up." When she began stirring, Mama turned to Mark. "Wake up, Markie. Lucy, be a dear an' help me wake up the kiddies."

Once all had awakened, Mama moved to untie the ropes binding them – and found the muzzle of Deathstroke's gun at her throat. "Madam, I must insist that they remain tied. The only reason you are not is because you are a senior citizen, and I make every effort to treat seniors with as much respect as I can, especially if the senior has never participated in any… _heroism._"

Mama stiffened, frowning at the masked man. Mark began to ask something, however Lucy elbowed him sharply in his side. The young man started and glared sourly at the redhead as she smirked at him. "…_Please_ don't do that."

Once he was sure that the elderly woman had gotten the message, Deathstroke turned towards the five frightened clones. He took Danielle's chin in his hand. "Hm…" His single eye narrowed as his hand dropped back to his side. "I suppose powers haven't come to you yet? You are the first super-clones to last a month, let alone four months."

"Powers?" Rich repeated, his brows low.

The smirk could be heard in Deathstroke's voice. "Powers, clones. You were all cloned from superheroes… the Teen Titans. Naturally, it is expected that you would develop powers." The masked man turned away from his captives and set down a flare on the roof. "I wonder… what your powers would be." Somehow, his tone didn't seem as questioning as it should have been.

The red light flared up, and the hostages stared at the back of their captor silently. "It won't be long before they get here." Deathstroke spoke softly. "The ones who paid for the clones' creation. They got a tip-off about the your location, and they're quite eager to retrieve their property."

Will gulped as Logan and Danielle began whimpering. Lucy, however, forgot the rope binding her and leapt forward only to drag herself and Mark, with whom she was tied up, to the floor. "What! Y' ain't turnin' in the kiddies!" She snarled.

Deathstroke snorted as he turned to face the redhead. "Darling, don't kid yourself. I am Deathstroke the Terminator – I _never_ fail a job. If you would behave yourself, I can promise that a lot less pain will come to you." He gazed at the slowly darkening sky. "It should be less than an hour until they get here." His face lowered; his single piercing eye burned into the clones. "I suggest that you get your farewells over and done with."

It was too much for the clones – Logan and Danielle broke down weeping while few tears leaked out of Will's eyes; Rich trembled, and Caity's face had gone ashen. Mama was immediately by their side, wrapping her arms around them in a group hug. "Shh, shh, dearies. Everythin'll be alright. Shh, shh…"

Perhaps the old woman was psychic, Deathstroke reflected, as a shadow dove swiftly from the sky. Two beings soon followed – they were the Teen Titans!

Deathstroke's eye narrowed as he crouched down, readying himself for a fun (or so he hoped), and possibly challenging, fight. The Teen Titans had always tested his skills, and after three decades of gathering dust, so to speak, he was looking forward to it.

* * *

"You will not take any hostages tonight, Deathstroke!" Healer cried out as she flapped her wings wildly, seeking altitude fruitlessly in the windless night air. The man in question sneered.

"I very much doubt that, little girl." He took aim at her, but quickly changed his aim towards the speeding blur. He hit the target; Rapid stumbled, but he would soon recover. Psy was next.

Deathstroke felt the telekinetic's pull at his weapon, and he let it go; however, he had reached into a pouch and before even Rapid could react, tossed a pebble-sized marble at Psy's foot. The grenade beeped once before disappearing in a fair-sized explosion. Deathstroke knew that Psy had reacted quickly enough to throw up a shield, but the grenade had a minor backlash that Psy had not expected. The weapon dropped, and Deathstroke caught it.

A movement caught his periphery. Deathstroke leapt up high, and Healer missed him by several feet. "Nice try, dear, but it's far too easy to dodge you when you dive from the sky!" The masked man sneered before throwing a punch to his right; his fist caught Rapid (or more accurately, Rapid ran into Deathstroke's fist). The Titan was down before he could recoil from the punch.

Deathstroke turned towards Psy; he knew that unless Healer had altitude, she would be useless in a fight. He could afford a few moments' attention away from her as she struggled in the near-dead air. Psy had nearly recovered, and would have been completely in a few seconds if not for the fact that Deathstroke had fired the same weapon he used to stun his hostages, taking him down before he could move.

Healer changed tactics; she landed on her feet and sprinted off towards the hostages. Deathstroke whirled around and took aim with his stunner. "No!" The woman cried out as he pulled the trigger; she crashed near Caity – the girl's face was deathly white as she gazed disbelievingly at the unconscious woman.

"Disappointing. I had hoped for a challenge." Deathstroke glanced over the three unconscious Titans. "I wonder how much I could bargain for you all? My agents would be pleased to see that I have extended beyond my original assignment." He strode over towards Rapid and Psy, withdrawing bonds from his pouches.

That proved to be a fatal mistake. Much later, Deathstroke would berate himself for letting his guard slip, especially around the clones of the original Teen Titans. The _original_ Teen Titans; he should have known.

Danielle screamed furiously; her eyes had lit up like miniature suns, and she snapped the ropes binding her without effort. Deathstroke turned around, stunned. The girl slammed into him, and he flew backwards several feet.

Mama, Mark, and Lucy's mouths fell open when Logan transformed into an alligator, breaking himself of his bonds as well. While the reptile charged toward Deathstroke, Will easily freed himself and ran towards the masked man, his face full of fury. Rich had flown into the sky after he tore apart the bonds; only Caity remained behind – however, she had gone rigid. Her mouth lagged open, and her three green-and-red eyes were slowly fading to black.

Before the green alligator could snap at his leg, Deathstroke leapt to his feet and threw a punch at Danielle's face; the girl recoiled. Will's fist flew toward Deathstroke, but he grabbed the robotic arm and used Will's weight against himself. Will crashed into Danielle mid-air; unused to such beatings, the two quickly fell unconscious.

Deathstroke swiftly leapt over Logan's scaly tail; the hissing alligator transformed into a roaring lion. The big cat's paw swiped at Deathstroke, but he dodged it before slamming the butt of his gun on the side of the lion's head. Logan slumped to the floor, changing back into a small boy. A bruise was already forming on his head.

Deathstroke wasn't finished, however. He hopped to his left as Rich slammed down on the floor from above. The boy snarled, and with surprising strength and speed, grabbed onto Deathstroke's arm. Rich had seen the trick the masked man used on Will, and he imitated it, hurling Deathstroke over his shoulder.

The man crashed into the concrete several feet away; however, when Rich flew towards him, Deathstroke hefted up the stun gun. A grin could be heard in his voice. "Sweet dreams, clone." His aim was true – Rich was knocked out before he landed. A whirring sound could be heard, and Deathstroke glanced up. A helicopter bearing the sign of the HIVE was hovering just above them. Good. He'd completed the job.

"No…" A terrible, chilling voice rang out, and Deathstroke whirled around, then recoiled. Caity's eyes had gone completely black; he shuddered at the sight. "No…" Deathstroke tightened his grip on the stun gun and started toward the girl.

"NO!"

Darkness suddenly tore out of the girl. It spread far more quickly than Deathstroke could react; the inky blackness swallowed the entire rooftop, and Caity's scream echoed in the darkness.

The cold blackness suddenly disappeared; all the hostages were gone. Deathstroke shook with fury as the helicopter landed beside him. A man in golden armor leapt out of the vehicle.

"…You have failed, Deathstroke. You failed to hold on the clones for our arrival."

The masked man whirled around. "Oh, I didn't fail. You all were already here when that girl did something! It's not my fault you weren't prepared! You can bet that I'll be expecting my payment by this time tomorrow." With that, Deathstroke leapt off the roof; a small glider emerged from the back of his suit, and he disappeared from sight between the skyscrapers.

* * *

_Flee… flee…_

The winged woman – Healer was her name – ran towards her, screaming.

_Flee. Don't let him get you._

The masked man had seen Healer. He shot her with the stunning gun and –

_She was Hansika Sarin. No, Caity Barker. No – she was Hansika Sarin. She was born with wings, born into a lowly family in India. Untouchable. A Dalit._

_Whispers laced with hatred directed at her. Freak, untouchable…_

The man with the black-and-orange mask was fighting with four teenagers – her brothers and sister?

_No. She didn't have a sister, and her brothers all were killed in India. Freak, mutant. Untouchable. Poorer than dirt… denied even drinking water._

No, no. She was Caity Barker… she had brothers and a sister. She was not poor – no, she was not Caity Barker. She was Hansika Sarin…

The masked man had brutally beaten the four teenagers, and a helicopter hovered above…

_Death. Nothing but death – death comes. Flee. Flee…_

"No…"

_Only two friends in her life. They come from America… Jay and dear Jonathon. They took Hansika with them, taught her English and named her Healer. No longer untouchable. No longer filthier than dirt._

_Danger! Flee – death comes! Don't let him get you!_

"No…"

_She was not Hansika Sarin! She was Caity Barker!_

_Where to go -? Danger approaches! Death! Don't let the murderers get you! They are death!_

The masked man neared her… he hoisted up a gun… he aimed…

_FLEE!_

_A tower on the island in midst of ocean… a strange tower, shaped like a T… safety. There was no danger. Safety – death cannot approach there._

_Flee! Flee… FLEE!_

"NO!"

_Soul torn asunder! The pain!_

_Who was she!? Not Hansika!_

_…She was Caity! Caity!_

REST, LITTLE RAVEN. YOU ARE SAFE.

REST. YOU ARE SAFE.

YOU ARE SAFE…

SAFE…

* * *

Author's Note: Some of you might be wondering why Deathstroke (or Slade, for those more familiar with the cartoon) would be working with the HIVE, since he hated them (they were responsible for the death of his firstborn, Grant and - from his view - his ex-wife Adeline). Please remember that he is a mercenary - he works for the highest bidder. But Slade is indeed carrying a secret...

Hansika is from India, and India is known for its rigorous caste system. For the longest time, the outsiders (us Europeans and Americans) believed that the Untouchable (Dalit) caste is the lowest one in the India caste (only very recently did we discover that there is actually _another _caste even lower than the Dalit) - and it's quite the brutal life for those in it. They were stuck in poverty, and the members from the other castes refuse to touch them (hence the term "Untouchables"), lest they become polluted themselves. This meant the higher castes refuse to serve water or food to the Untouchables (to the point that the Untouchables were not allowed to draw water from the well, because others also use the well), because there is the risk of physical contact. Since they were already considered polluted, the Untouchables got stuck with the worst jobs possible - they dealt with human and animal waste, and dead carcasses. They even sometimes went almost naked, so the other castes won't be at risk of being touched by billowing clothes. That is the caste Hansika was born in, and throw her mutation into the mix... could you see why she was so eager to leave India?

A note of amusement: when I first wrote this in 2008, none of us had any idea that Disney would end up owning the Star Wars franchise and that there would be indeed more Star Wars movies. Apparently, I am psychic!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers! If you did, please continue on.


	6. Blizzards and Bears

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, Deathstroke the Terminator, or Mojo Jojo, but the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Blizzards and Bears**

"Caity? Caity!"

A voice… who?

"Caity! Wake up!"

…Danielle.

The girl groaned, her eyes opening a fraction. Her sister hovered just above her, face white with worry. Her brothers all were at her side. Caity sighed wearily; her eyes closed again.

"Caity? Healer used her powers… that's why she's called Healer, she heals people." Logan's voice floated out of darkness. "You're fine now. Please wake up… I'm scared." Yes, Caity could hear the fear in her youngest brother's voice.

With an enormous effort, she opened her eyes again. She could see Danielle, Logan, and Will… turning her head to her left, she could see Rich as well. Caity let loose another long sigh before struggling to sit up; Danielle immediately moved to help her.

"Where…?" Caity croaked, glancing at her dark and slightly dusty surroundings. Rich sat down beside her on the tattered couch.

"You don't know? You did something… you brought us here. Well, that's what Mama said," Rich looked troubled. Danielle and Logan leaned in to hug Caity tightly as Will declared,

"I'll go tell the others that you're awake, Caity!" With this, he ran out of the large room. Logan then answered Caity's question,

"We're in the Titans Tower. You somehow brought us here, Caity." Danielle's arms tightened around Caity, and before she could ask another question, Will entered the room, closely followed by a worried Mama.

"Oh, dearie! Yer awake! Thank goodness, I was so worried!" The elderly woman immediately scooped up Caity in a hug. Lucy came up to the group along with the three superheroes.

"Caity? You okay?" Lucy asked, peering at Caity's pale face over Mama's shoulder.

Healer spoke up, "They told me your name was Caity. I healed all the injures I could find… if you still hurt, please tell me, and I will take care of it," she finished softly. "You may call me Hea – Hansika."

The two men stared at her, dumbfound. "Lady? You're telling them your real name?" Rapid whispered. "Why?"

Healer glanced at Caity. "I… there is something about them that we can trust, Jay." Ignoring Rapid's protests at his name being revealed, she continued. "Jon, have you any luck at figuring out why the tower let them in?"

Rich moved to Caity's side and whispered in her ear, "They told us that the tower only lets in the Titans. They can't figure out why the tower would let Mark, Lucy, and Mama in… they guessed that we got in fine because we're clones of the Titans."

The whisper had gone unnoticed by Psy, who shrugged. "_No idea. Sorry._" Rapid sighed in annoyance; he opened his mouth, obviously intending to scold Healer or provoke Psy when Caity spoke up:

"Where is Mark?"

Lucy chuckled. "Markie's tryin' t' hack in the tower's computer, y'see, because the tower's out o' commission. Only the basics, like security, works. He ain't havin' a lot o' luck." The ginger-haired woman snickered some more as Mama sent her a stern glare.

"Oh, hush, girl! Don't go 'round laughin' at yer brother! Ya knows how he hates that! Besides, there ain't nobody as good as Markie is. If he can't, I don't know who can!"

Rich frowned – he had seen Psy sneak a glance at Mama before moving to stand between Healer and Rapid. However, his thoughts were abruptly shattered by Logan who hollered, "Caity! Lemme show you the tower!" The small boy grabbed his sister's arm and dragged her out of the room. Danielle and Will hurried after them, and Rich, not wanting to be left with the adults, hustled after his siblings.

Lucy grinned lazily as she turned to the three superheroes. "Well, because Momma said Ah'm not allowed t' go near Mark, how 'bout y'all showin' me the kitchen? Ah'm famished!" Rapid smiled widely as he motioned for Lucy to follow. Healer quietly followed them.

Psy smirked and shook his head. He sent Healer a private telepathic message: "_Hey, cutie, looks like Jay fancies tha' gal! I bet ya twenty that speedie makes a move in two days!_" Her answer came swiftly:

_No. He wouldn't until the next week._

"_Oh, is that a challenge? Yer on, sweetie!_" Before closing the link between the two, Psy felt her amusement, and he chuckled as he turned around; he abruptly jumped several feet in the air. "_Ya-a-ah!_" Clutching at his heart, he managed to gasp out; "_Geez, woman! Warn somebody before ya go 'round scarin' the life outta 'em!_"

Mama didn't smile or frown; she merely peered thoughtfully at Psy, who gulped as he fidgeted. "…Good ter see ya, Jon." With this, she departed the room. Psy groaned, and went up to the glass wall. He rested his forehead on it, staring at the tumbling ocean waves crashing onto the island.

"…_Marcy_…"

* * *

"We have decided to overlook your failure, Deathstroke, and grant you a second chance at accomplishing a job." The disembodied voice of the HIVE agent echoed in the dark room. Deathstroke narrowed his eye.

"Fail? Pardon me, but my job description clearly said that I was to stall them until your agents arrived. I did _exactly_ that – I demand my payment!"

"No. The HIVE refuses. However, should you accomplish this job, we would pay you a small portion of the payment for the failed job," Deathstroke snarled, but the voice continued. "The Teen Titans are duty-sworn to protect the oppressed, even if they were criminals being held as hostages."

"Wait. You want me to attack the _bad_ guys?" Deathstroke couldn't keep the wonderment from his voice. "Surely not Frost Queen and –"

"Yes. Attack Frost Queen and her… deranged monkey friend," the voice rang out. "You are to stall them _until_ our agents have _entered_ the battle. Is that clear?"

The sneer could be heard in the masked man's voice. "Crystal."

* * *

"Run, cretins! You can run, but you cannot hide, for I am… _Mojo Jojo!_ The Powerpuff Girls cannot defeat me; you most definitely cannot de –" The shrieking chimpanzee was cut off by the elderly woman next to him.

"Oh, shut up, ya idiot! Yer always blabberin' on 'bout those girls! It won't kill ya ter pay attention!" Frost Queen snarled before she turned her attention to the terrified standbyers. "Oy, y'all! Get down! _Down!_"

The men and women scrambled to the floor, lying flat, lest they grab the unwanted attention of the two villains. Frost Queen smirked as she stepped over a man toward a teller. "Lady, get up! I'm here ter check my account," she chuckled. "Jest open the vault, an' my friend here an' I'll help ourselves. That ain't so hard, girl. Hurry up!"

The green chimpanzee rolled his eyes as Frost Queen turned on her heel and snapped, "Momo Yoyo! Yer stayin' there an' keep an eye out fer trouble!" Switching her attention back to the trembling woman, the villain nodded toward the vault. "Go on, dearie."

"Please be so kind to remind me why are we stealing from a _bank?_ Surely villains of our standing are capable of so much more!" The chimpanzee lumbered over to the blasted doors. "I, Mojo Jojo, have gone up against the Powerpuff Girls and emerged supreme –"

He was cut off by every person on the first floor: "Oh, shut up!"

* * *

"There, dearie, that wasn't so hard," Frost Queen sneered at her hostage. "Now, if yer a good girl, jest go back ter yer coworkers an' lay down, y'hear?" The trembling woman nodded. "Good. Oy, monkey!"

"Mojo Jojo is not a monkey! He is a _chimpanzee_ –" Again the unfortunate primate was cut off by his fellow criminal, who scoffed.

"Whatever. Lissen, Mobo Bobo, like I told ya before, we're bein' paid by the HIVE ter rip this place off! Now let's scram!" Frost Queen rushed to the door, hauling two very full moneybags. Her comrade grabbed the heavier bag and followed her outside, whining:

"You know perfectly well that I am _Mojo Jojo,_ not… Mobo Bobo or Momo Yoyo!" His complaints went unnoticed as Frost Queen aimed her hand at the floor; a stream of ice blasted out of her hand. A thick layer quickly built up.

"Get on! We're haulin' our butts outta here!" Once she was sure that Mojo Jojo had gotten on the ice safely, Frost Queen thursted her hand forward; the ice layer exploded forward into a slide that rose into the air. "Ha! We're gonna be rich, monkey! The HIVE gonna pay us real good!" Their glee, however, was cut short by Frost Queen's ice slide exploding.

"Oh, dear me. I appear to have accidentally broken your foothold," the smooth voice of Deathstroke rang out. "I must apologize, madam." His tone, however, was the opposite of apologetic. Frost Queen snarled.

"Y' ain't takin' this old gal down easy!" With astounding speed for her age, the woman threw up her arms upward; an immense ice shield rose from the ground, glistening. Mojo Jojo roared as he sprinted toward Deathstroke.

"You're always reminding us that you are a veteran, chimpanzee, and yet you foolishly stumble around when you fight." The masked man sneered as he aimed at the primate with his stunner. However, when he squeezed the trigger, it exploded; Frost Queen had chilled the air around the weapon and the metal became brittle – a clever move, Deathstroke had to admit.

Deathstroke shook off the surprise quickly and withdrew a collapsible staff from a pouch on his belt just in time to block Mojo Jojo's huge fists. Deathstroke grunted; the chimpanzee was a lot stronger than he looked. A minor surprise, but easily overcome. The larger one was, the harder he fell. In a swift, fluid movement, Deathstroke dropped to his back and shoved at the primate's abdomen with his legs; Mojo Jojo was sent tumbling to the ground – his helmet cracked against the ground, revealing his unprotected brain.

Deathstroke withdrew a small taser-like weapon and jammed it deep in the crevices of the brain; Mojo Jojo buckled and howled as electricity tore throughout his body. The green chimpanzee slumped to the ground, utterly defeated.

The air became colder, and Deathstroke leapt to his right seconds before an ice blast hit the location he had been previously standing in. As soon as he landed, he jumped again; this time, he aimed for the top of a nearby parked hover car. Reaching it, he back-tumbled off again, all while dodging ice blasts by Frost Queen – the woman was shockingly fast.

A spilt second before he landed, Deathstroke spotted the glint; Frost Queen had set a thin sheet of ice over the street in an attempt to deprive him of steady footing. What she haven't expected, however, was that he had the foresight to wear special boots to give him grip on low-friction surfaces.

Frost Queen's face betrayed her shock when Deathstroke landed smoothly on the asphalt. "What! Bah!" The weathered villain knew to not to waste her breath with questions; instead, she threw an icy lance at Deathstroke – ah, good, he sidestepped, just as she had hoped. Quick as lightning, she thursted her hands above her head; the icy sheet on the asphalt erupted upwards, encasing Deathstroke in a cocoon of ice.

"Aah, it has been a while since I've fought a worthy opponent," Deathstroke spoke softly as he shattered the icy shell with a well-aimed blow of his staff. "It is quite refreshing –" He halted, staring at the space that Frost Queen had previously occupied.

"Hmm?" Contrary to the apparent confusion that his wording gave, Deathstroke abruptly swirled on his heel, smacking Frost Queen, who was sneaking behind him, squarely in her head with the staff. "You have fought well, madam. There is no shame in losing to me."

He leaned down to inspect the elderly woman's injures as she laid there, clearly too winded to continue. Satisfied with what he saw, Deathstroke stood up and quickly withdrew a small container form his pouch; he tossed it towards the unconscious Mojo Jojo, and a steel-wire net emerged from it, tangling the chimpanzee.

"Excellent, Deathstroke. BR-13 shall take over. You can expect your payment soon," the low voice spoke from behind the masked man. He glanced behind, and had to exercise every ounce of his willpower to not recoil in disgust.

The figure draped in the purple cloak smirked as the wheezing clone slowly lumbered forward. Oh, gods… Deathstroke moved as quickly as he could out of the way without arousing suspicion. The… creature's mouth was only half-formed; it gaped unresponsively, leaking drool. The four black eyes roved around, and for a second the eyes locked gaze with Deathstroke – so _much_ pain.

The clone growled at the man before limping toward Mojo Jojo on its deformed and mismatched legs. Deathstroke swallowed before he turned to the HIVE agent. "Fascinating clone, I must say. I wonder how it hears your orders with no ears."

The agent sneered. "It doesn't need ears… it has weak telepathy and is therefore able to receive orders via such means. BR-13, retrieve the targets!"

The clone groaned as its back swelled as if something was trying to break free. Deathstroke watched in disgust as the monster became a mutated bear. The creature, if it could be called a bear, abruptly lashed out at Mojo Jojo; the chimpanzee's head rolled back under the force of the blow. The primate definitely would not awaken for a while.

BR-13 dropped to its paws, wheezing and groaning through its incomplete mouth – it didn't even have a distinctive nose, Deathstroke noticed absently. After panting heavily for a moment, the clone turned toward the feebly stirring Frost Queen – only to be frozen in a blizzard. The suddenly recovered woman swiftly rose into the sky on an ice slide, and before the HIVE agent could react, she had disappeared from view.

Deathstroke allowed himself a smirk under his mask as the cloaked figure raged at the clone. "Worthless! Incompetent!" However, as the agent started kicking the poor creature, Deathstroke decided that it was time to disappear.

* * *

The people milling below noticed two unusual things: it seemed to be raining in strips, and when they glanced up, there were huge melting ice slides above their heads! Soon, the authorities had arrived at the scene to puzzle over what to do with the ice. Frost Queen grinned nastily from her hiding spot in an empty apartment she had found. Then she groaned, clutching her side.

That fight with Deathstroke… had taken a lot out of her. She was getting far too old for this. The woman slumped down to the floor, panting. A few minutes' of rest, and then she could –

"_Frost Queen!_"

_The woman in question jumped, gasping. W-who?_

"_Yer in danger! Come ter the Titans Tower!_"

Frost Queen snorted. _Surely yer jokin'._

"_I'm not jokin', Frostie. We've seen that fight with Deathstroke an' tha'… monster. We believe the HIVE's plannin' somethin' bad, an' they wanna use ya ta draw us out._"

The elderly woman was silent for a moment. Then… _Fine, Psy. I'll come ter the tower… but I ain't gonna be treated bad there, y'hear?_

Frost Queen slowly lumbered to her feet as her joints creaked in protest. Psy was silent for a moment before he answered, "…_Fine. Only fer now. I'll guide ya._"

She nodded and climbed onto the window sill, already creating an ice slide. A visit to the tower, and not as an attack? This ought to be interesting.

* * *

Author's Note: Mojo Jojo was always a joke in this story - I loved Powerpuff Girls while I was a wee girl myself, and so naturally when I wrote this story, I decided to use Mojo Jojo when I needed a throwaway villain. He's a fun little chimpanzee.

Concerning BR-13... I hope you read my previous author's note on chapter 4 (_Clones: Humans or Animals?_) in which I explained that the cloning technology is still not precise. Additionally, there is the small issue of Beast Boy's unstable DNA (as he is a shapeshifter) and Raven's half-demonic heritage. It follows that any BR clones would be monstrous things.

In the meanwhile, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers!


	7. All About the Millers

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, though the OCs are mine.

* * *

**All About the Millers**

Rapid cleared his throat.

Frost Queen glared at him.

Healer sighed wearily.

Lucy struggled to keep her face expressionless and failed miserably – she had never been a good poker player.

The five clones stared at them, bewildered. Mama rubbed her face as Rapid snapped at the villain, "Look, Frost Queen, just because Psy brought you here, it doesn't mean you're getting any special attention!"

The woman in question sneered. "I ain't expectin' any, but I do expect that y'all show me the same respect y'all show ter elders." Rapid narrowed his eyes, and Mama raised her hand.

"Not now. Fightin' ain't gonna help us. We need ter get answers, startin' with why the same guy who attacked us would attack Frost Queen."

Rich glanced at Mama as he piped up, "Oh, don't forget about finding out why the tower would let in everybody! I mean, the security still works, right?" Rapid nodded, and started to answer, but he was interrupted by a cackle from Frost Queen.

"Y'all ain't serious?" Their faces told her otherwise. "Oh, that's great. Great." She laughed bitterly before answering, "C'mon, Titans, y'all know that the tower only let in those with the same blood as the Titans. What'a ya thinkin'?"

Rapid and Healer frowned at her; Psy shifted his gaze to his lap instead. Mark and Lucy glanced at each other, and the five teenagers all stared at Frost Queen, waiting for the answer. Mama's gaze had become stony.

The villain grinned. "Marcy, I can't believe ya won't greet yer sister, especially after all these years," Frost Queen paused for a moment to allow the others to absorb the shock. "Marcy's the oldest o' three kids, me bein' the youngest. The middle was Jon, or like y'all know him as, Psy. That's why Marcy an' I got in the tower, we Psy's sisters."

Before any of Mama's mute foster children – both current and former – could find their voices, Frost Queen continued. "An' if my memory serves correctly, Marcy fostered only special kids, kids o' supers. Yah, that boy an' girl there," she pointed at Mark and Lucy, "Was the kids o' some Titans. I'm pretty sure I killed the boy's daddy… Tsunami, I think, an' wasn't the girl's mama Delphia an' daddy Cyber Storm?"

Frost Queen grinned viciously at Mark and Lucy's pale faces as she continued, obviously enjoying herself. "Yah, Marcy an' I used ter be bad marks on Jon's file, because I was a villain way back then - mind you, I still am - an' Marcy won't dress up an' fight, though she got in plenty o' trouble with the Super Central because she keeps usin' her powers –"

"Barbara, that's enough." Mama's voice was steely, and Frost Queen immediately stopped. "Even after all those years, yer still a brat." Frost Queen frowned at her, and Mama turned her gaze to her foster children. "Meetin's over, dearies. I'm gonna make yer dinner." The old woman stood up from her seat and paused, gazing at Psy. After a long moment, Mama turned her head away and strode out of the room, presumably toward the kitchen.

Rapid and Healer glanced at each other before silently grabbing Psy by his arms and guiding him out of the room. Frost Queen smirked at Lucy, Mark, and the five clones; they all glared at her, but they all were still too shocked to find their voice. "So I'm yer auntie, eh?"

Mark's fists tightened as he departed the room with Lucy, who was clenching her teeth. Rich, Will, and Caity weren't too far behind; however, Logan and Danielle paused near the door. The duo glanced back, and Danielle waved at Frost Queen before they followed their siblings. The woman blinked in surprise.

"Huh… looks like Marcy's raisin' 'em good…" Frost Queen swirled her seat around and gazed broodingly at the window. "Marcy… the _real_ question's how the hell Jon's only in his twenties when he shoulda be in fifties like us?"

* * *

Clattering rang out of the long-unused kitchen as Mama scurried here and there, banging away at the stove with pans and pots, retrieving the food from the refrigerator – the Titans had immediately restocked the tower upon their return – all while the five clones stared. Mama paused, hovering above the boiling water in a pot, and let loose a long-winded, weary sigh.

"Mama?" Danielle's timid voice came out behind the woman; she turned around to meet the clones' troubled faces.

"What's wrong, dearies?" Her children glanced at each other before Will cleared his throat.

"We… don't understand what Frost Queen meant," the boy looked nervous as he continued, "You… have powers? I – I don't really understand." Mama closed her eyes for a moment before turning back to the pot.

"…Ya, she's my sister. Barbara. Jon's my brother…" Mama trailed off for a moment. "Ain't got foggiest idea why he's so young. But… our parents were quite infamous back in the day. They were a couple o' big-time supervillians. Daddy an' Mama were known in the news as the 'Bonnie an' Clyde of the New Millennium.' They were master thieves… nothin' they couldn't steal." Mama paused to place the pasta in the boiling water.

"Daddy coulda turn like a ghost, y'see, an' go right through the walls! He coulda change his form, too, ter like a gas. Nothin' can keep him out, an' my mama was the muscle. She never got her strength measured, though she went head-ter-head with Goliath an' held her ground. An'…" Mama swallowed. "Most o' supers don't have kids because either they don't wanna, or they were killed before they could even find a sweetheart." Mama retrieved some vegetables from the freezer and set them in the microwave to thaw.

"That bein', not a lot o' supers' kiddies have powers, though it have been seen ter happen with a super couple – where both the daddy an' mama are supers – but usually only one or _mebbe_ two kids have powers. Last I can remember, last time there was a super family with three super kids was the Parr family – y' heard o' 'em, they're the Incredibles – from three hundred years ago." Mama had moved the pasta to another bowl; she was stirring her homemade sauce into it.

"When Daddy an' Mama found out that I'm a super, they were thrilled. But Daddy didn't want me ter be involved with their activities, so when they went out ter steal, they woulda leave me with Grandmamma. When Jon was born – he ain't ever talked in a normal voice; he been talkin' in telepathy since he was a baby – Daddy an' Mama were happy. It's _very_ rare fer a super couple ter have a super kid, let alone two!" Mama had placed the steaming broccoli in a bowl next to the ravioli and she turned her attention to the bread that she had placed in the oven long before she started on the pasta.

"When Barbara was a baby, she froze Daddy ter his seat!" Mama chuckled at the memory. "Mama hadda break Daddy free, an' by tha' time, we started gettin' in trouble. Y' see, there was a Super Central back then – they ain't a government branch, but headed by the International Superhero League, an' they had this system o' keepin' track o' powers bein' used all 'round the world. Jon was talkin' in telepathy an' usin' his telekinesis right from the start, an' Barbara never was slow ter freeze somebody if she got mad! That was a lot o' power, an' so they came a-knockin'." Mama had sliced up the garlic bread and motioned for Logan to help her ferry the food to the large table they had set up.

"They didn't know that Daddy an' Mama were the Bonnie an' Clyde that gave 'em so much trouble, an' they were gonna take Jon, Barbara, an' me away ter give us ta some superheroes ter 'train us properly,' an' none o' us were happy. Daddy an' Mama may be villains, but we're a family, an' they were good ta us," Mama's voice had gone soft. "An' that's when I first used my powers in a big way – before, I always used them in little ways such as calmin' down Barbara or Jon when they were babies – an' I made 'em forget what they came fer. It's what I do, I mess 'round with memories. I can make false memories an' make 'em forget. Y'all seen me use it before, ain't y'all?"

The clones nodded. Mama smiled wearily. "Good dearies. Daddy called it 'Jedi Mind Tricks' – he loved Star Wars," Mama grinned fondly. "An' so fer the rest o' my teen years, I was usin' it ta bust my parents outta jail. I woulda walk up ter the police an' use my powers ta get through the officers an' get my parents out. Later I hadda bust Barbara, too, an' once Jon got in trouble." Mama sighed heavily as she placed the plates and silverware around the table.

"Then one day, Jon had had it. He ran away with a friend that he'd jest met. 'Twas Jay. Broke my parents' hearts, but Jon was tired o' havin' a bad rep as villains' kid. Barbara bein' wild weren't helpin', either. Soon afterwards, Daddy was killed by a superhero, an' Mama died from disease later. She lost her will ter live, so a simple flu killed her. Barbara… she followed our parents' footsteps, an' Jon became a Titan." Mama rubbed her face wearily before continuing, "I never became active with my powers, though one or two times I woulda bust Barbara outta jail. Sometimes Jon asked fer my help, an' after the fourth time, they made me an honorary Titan."

The elderly woman chuckled bitterly. "That didn't sit too well with Barbara. She hated the Titans, because one killed Daddy, y'see. An' one day, I decided ter start fosterin' kiddies. I've always loved children, an' the supers - good an' bad - were always dyin' off an' leavin' their kids behind. Well, I went ta Super Central an' fooled 'em into lettin' me foster supers' kids instead o' havin' 'em shipped off ter the boot camp. Usually, kids o' dead supers went ta the boot camp an' become either supers or government agents. An' so I started fosterin' kids… that's how Mark an' Lucy ended up at my house."

Mama paused and walked toward a monitor located in the wall. She pressed a button and spoke clearly toward the speaker. "Dinner's ready, dearies! C'mon up!" She turned back to the table and sat down between Logan and Danielle. She inhaled sharply before she continued. "I'm sorry ter say that Barbara killed Mark's daddy. Markie an' Lucy ain't supers, though Mark's daddy an' Lucy's parents were. They were Titans, too. If I remember right, Mark's mama was killed as a passerby in a fight between Robin the Thirtieth an' the villain Monster. Lucy's daddy Cyber Storm an' mama Delphia were killed in a big fight between the Titans an' the Fearsome Fifty, I think. Mark's daddy Tsunami… he was fightin' Barbara, an' two other Titans were there, too. Barbara was losin', an' Stonewall hit her 'round the head. She didn't see Tsunami in the water – he coulda breathe in the water an' he was bringin' a wave ter submerge Barbara – she jest saw a big wave o' water comin', an' she froze it."

Mama's voice shook slightly before she cleared her throat; Rapid and Lucy had entered the room. They swiftly found their seats. "When water's frozen, it expands. Barbara coulda freeze water very quickly an' so the water crushed Tsunami. Barbara ain't a murderer, an' she felt horrible. T' this day, Barbara refuses ter freeze any large body o' water." Just as Mama ended, Psy and Healer joined the group at the table. Lucy had shifted her eyes to her lap once she grasped what Mama had been talking about.

Perhaps it was fortunate that Mama had stopped when she did, for Frost Queen was not too far behind Healer and Psy. The elderly villain stopped, gazing with distaste over the group before selecting a seat down the long table, away from everybody else. Psy cleared his throat awkwardly and scratched at his nose as Mama gazed sadly at Frost Queen, who resolutely ignored her siblings. The large doors to the room opened again and a weary Mark trudged through it.

Lucy's eyes lit up. "Markie! Mah boy! Cracked the tower's secrets yet?" She chuckled, and Mark shot her a glare. "Whoo, if looks coulda kill! Whassup? Sumthin' crawled an' died in yer pants?" The redheaded woman snickered as Mama wearily moved her gaze from Frost Queen to Lucy.

"Lucy…" Mama shook her head and decided to change the direction of her statement. "Markie? How it comin' along?" Mark had taken up his seat beside Lucy and Rapid. He rubbed his face before lowering his hand to glare grumpily at the group.

"…Horrible. I've _never_ encountered such a complex programming! It's almost as if the program monitors my progress and adjusts itself! Each time I crack a code, five new ones come up!" The tired man shook his head as he hid his face his hands again. "_Horrible._" Mama frowned; Lucy, in a rare moment of gentleness, patted consolingly on Mark's back. Healer cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, but perhaps we ought to get started on dinner? Mark would feel reenergized after eating and rest, and the food smells delicious." With this, they bowed their heads to give grace – or more accurately, Mama, Psy, and Frost Queen did so; the clones merely imitated Mama and the rest bowed their heads out of respect – before digging into the food.

"_Mhmm. Delicious as always. Oh, speedie, when yer gonna ask the redhead out?_" Psy smirked as Mama sighed, dropping her head into her hands.

The couple in question sputtered as Rapid managed to choke out, "What! No, no, no! O-oh! I'm not interested in her like that! No!" Lucy's face had gone a magnificent shade of red much to Mark's delight. Rapid wasn't done; "And _don't_ call me _speedie!_"

* * *

The tower chuckled. Everything was all right now – its Titans had returned, though the tower wondered why they hadn't spoken to the tower yet. It had greeted Raven, but received no answer. Also, Psy's villainous sister, Frost Queen, had taken up residence in the tower, along with Psy's other sister, the honorary Titan. Tsunami's son and Cyber Storm and Delphia's daughter had also come.

It was baffling, the tower grudgingly admitted to itself; strange things had been happening. Deathstroke attacked the Titans, and he attacked Frost Queen. The Titans hadn't even displayed their powers, let alone exercise like they normally did! To top it off, the boy who looked and spoke like Nightwing registered as Troia on its sensors. _How_ could Nightwing be Troia? Impossible.

Despite all the confusion, there was one thing that made the tower smirk with well-deserved smugness. Tsunami's son had been trying to hack into its computers – _nobody_ except Cyborg could do that – it had delighted in monitoring the boy's process; he certainly was clever – and adjust its hardware just as he was about to break the code. Oh, it hadn't had such fun in a long time. It was especially amusing when the boy had roared in frustration and hurled a chair out of the room, and the chair hit Cyber Storm and Delphia's daughter squarely in her back just as she walked past with Rapid.

The tower murmured happily. It had been long since chaos last rang out in its hallways: tonight, Tsunami's son and Cyber Storm and Delphia's daughter were particularly hyperactive and annoyed at each other. They were almost like Cyborg and Beast Boy…

…

…

Why hadn't the Titans spoken to it yet? The tower sighed sadly. Perhaps it needed to change its plan – and so the secret room lit up again with the dim light of the lone monitor. The screen flickered as the tower made the necessary adjustments.

Soon, the tower mused happily, its Titans would be fully reunited with it.

…What? Oh, Tsunami's son had started crying out of sheer frustration. The tower giggled happily.

HE HE HE…

* * *

"_We interrupt your usual program for breaking news. The five escaped clones have been located; however they have since gone into hiding. They were being quartered by the woman known as Marcy Miller with the aid of Mark Kim and Lucy Savage. The three Titans are also suspected of hiding the clones. The police have warrants on the felons – if they are seen, call the toll-free number 1-800-STAR-LAB for the clones, 1-800-T-TITANS for the Titans Psy, Rapid, and Healer, and 911 for Marcy Miller, Kim Lee, and Lucy Savage._

_The Titans are also wanted for sheltering the known villain, Frost Queen. Should Frost Queen be seen, call 1-800-FROST-QN and it should also be noted that Lucy Savage has a history of violence. Taking extreme care around the clones, the Titans, Frost Queen, and Lucy Savage especially is strongly urged. Stay tuned in, and do your civilian duties by helping the authorities catch these felons and protect your city!_"

* * *

A low wheezing sound echoed in the dark room. A sinister voice rang out: "The HIVE has received a tip concerning the primary clones' whereabouts; they are hiding in the Titans' Tower. All of you are to retrieve your brothers and sisters, clones."

A gurgling groan answered the disembodied voice.

"Silence, SB-47. You are to attack the Titans' Tower and capture the clones NT-37, CB-91, CB-104, SR-110 and SR-112. Do _not_ fail."

The cold voice stopped, presumably because the HIVE representative had left the dark, gloomy room. The wheezing paused, and a low, ugly voice rumbled: "The masters have… commanded…capture the… primary cloneSSS! BR-13… is a-a-a… GOOD clone! He…he SHall capTURE… his brothERS and… sistERS…"

The voice halted abruptly, and a hacking sound followed; a high and cold voice answered. "CS-54 has processed the command. CS-54 shall succeed in her mission. The Titans' Tower shall be attacked and destroyed."

* * *

Author's Note: My beta, Griffinmon, kept trying to figure out Mama's mysterious power the few times it showed up in past chapters, and as she peppered me with her multiple theories, she kept referring to it as "Jedi Mind Tricks," and I decided to throw in the term as a small thank-you to her.

An interesting note about Psy (Jonathon) - he is actually mute. Nobody ever figured this out because, as Mama said, he've been talking in telepathy ever since he was a baby. And yes, I tossed in a reference to the Incredibles - as far as I know, the Incredibles _is_ one of the few fictional families to have so many super-powered members.

I certainly hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers!


	8. Don't Let That Dinosaur Eat You!

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, however the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Don't Let That Dinosaur Eat You!**

"Dearies?" Mama's voice rang throughout the tower; the clones immediately ran straight toward the briefing room, where they knew Mama was discussing something with the Titans.

"We're here, Mama," Rich announced the moment he entered the large, cold room with his brothers and sisters. "What is it?"

The elderly woman smiled wearily. "I've been talkin' with the Titans, an' we all…" Mama hesitated for a moment. "Mebbe y'all oughta sit first, dearies. Good! Now, we were talkin' 'bout trainin' y'all. Remember when Deathstroke attacked us? You… displayed some powers, an' we're plannin' ter test y'all an' find out what yer powers are, then train y'all."

Mama smiled fondly at them as Psy nodded. "_Marcy's right. Nothin' more dangerous than a bunch o' untrained supers. Don't worry, it's really easy. We'll jest go ter the excerise area an' toss some stuff at y'all. Mebbe yer powers woulda show up, an' we'll record 'em. It's plenty safe._"

Healer softly chuckled at the clones' expressions. "It really is safe. Also, not to forget, in the case that something should go wrong, not that it will, I will be there. It is_ completely_ safe."

Rapid snorted lightly, and Psy elbowed him rather sharply in the side. "…_Ouch,_" The speedster glared at Psy. "That hurt." Psy tilted his head discreetly toward the clones, whose faces had gone ashen. "Oh. Um, I was just joking. Yeah, that's it. Heh-heh," Rapid coughed feebly. Mama shook her head before turning to her children.

"Trust us, kiddies. We'll jest be throwin' balls at y'all. We'll try ter catch y'all off balance an' with yer guard down. _No_ harm will come ta y'all, Mama promises that!" The teenagers looked slightly comforted with the elderly woman's reassurances. "Ready fer it, dearies?"

Rich glanced at his brothers and sisters before nodding. Mama beamed at him. "That's my boy! C'mon here, gimme a hug, y'all!" The clones happily complied, and the three Titans shared an amused glance with each other. Psy grinned wryly as Healer smiled softly and Rapid scoffed slightly; he was never much of a "touchy-feely" person, as he called it.

"Alright, let's go, midgets," Rapid called over to the group, already on his way out of the briefing room. A blast of telepathy caught him, however.

"_Yo, speedie_ - "

"It's not speedie, as you _damn well know!_"

" - _ya don't hafta come with us. Hansika, Marcy, an' I can handle this; why don'tcha jest go an' flirt some more with_ Luuuuceee?" Apparently it was possible for Psy to draw out a word telepathically; Rapid, to his credit, had the decency to blush - however, the image of decency was shattered when the speedster let loose a string of foul words at Psy, who grinned in delight.

"_Jay!_" Healer's shocked voice rang out. "My goodness! _Such_ language!" The winged woman flustered as her mouth gaped like a fish's; she was far too shocked to find words, and Psy's belly-aching laughter was not helping matters. During all this, Mama had immediately clasped her hands over Logan's ears and shooed the other teenagers out of the room, frowning all the while at Rapid and Psy.

"Oh, one would think that those so-called adults would've behave like _adults,_ instead o' children!" The elderly woman ranted as she guided her pack down several stories to the training room. "Worse than even_ Lucy!_ Oh my! Kiddies, I don't wanna hear y'all sayin' those words _ever,_ gotcha?"

The wide-eyed clones nodded at her, however...

"What does 'f-' mean?" Danielle's tiny voice piped up.

Mama sighed wearily.

* * *

The gruesome creature growled; heavy drool leaked from its half-formed mouth and splashed on the ground below. The noise rang out abnormally loud in the silence, and a high, cold voice quickly responded, "Brother BR-13, CS-54 implores you to be _silent,_ otherwise we may fail in our mission of recovering our stray brothers and sisters."

BR-13 snorted; his four black eyes met its sibling's robotic green eyes. "BR-13... is a... GOOD clone! He will... not... meSS THis... up! He will... CAPture his... brotHERS and... SISters!" He managed to snarl out, though the coughing and hacking ruined the image he was aiming for. The female cyborg made no response as she glared at the mutated clone.

A new voice joined the rabble; "NR-130 thinks that her brother and sister are being far too loud - perhaps she ought to report them to the masters?" At this threat, BR-13 immediately began whimpering and moaning.

"No... no! MastERS... hurt BR-13! He is... a GOOD clone! Not... BAD! He will... be.. quiet NOW!" True to his word, the deformed clone fell silent; he even brought up his twisted hands to his mouth in an effort to halt the trail of drool.

CS-54 was silent as she turned her head around to stare at NR-130, then her horrible voice answered, "Very well. What do we do now?"

NR-130 gingerly patted her brother on his shoulder as she replied, "Peace, BR-13. CS-54, we shall wait for our other brothers and sisters before we fetch the primary clones." CS-54 nodded, apparently satisfied with the answer, and swirled her head around to gaze at the distant Titans' Tower.

"...CS-54 _will_ fulfill her orders."

"A-and... BR-13... too!" The beast immediately collapsed into a hacking fit after his declaration; his sisters watched, apathetic. "..._ow_..."

* * *

"_Aiiiee!_"

"_Ow!_"

"Watch _oooout!_"

"_Yargh!_"

"..."

Mama rubbed her eyes as Healer and Psy swallowed their chuckles with some difficulty; the clones had been hollering and screaming since they'd entered the Danger Room (all except for Caity; the quiet girl had settled for tiny gasps) and the balls had begun hurling themselves out of the walls toward the frightened teenagers. So far, all they had discovered was that Rich, Caity, and Logan were extremely skilled at dodging, and that Will screamed like a girl; Danielle preferred to catch the balls and throw them _at_ her siblings, adding to the chaos.

"Ahem," Healer gently cleared her throat before glancing nervously at Mama and Psy, "I believe that this... may not succeed. The clones have yet to display powers." The winged woman returned her attention to the five teenagers; Will had joined Danielle in pelting the balls at their siblings - it had become a game to see whether Will or Danielle could nail the agile Rich, Caity, and Logan. "They are... now playing."

Psy smirked as Mama nodded, "Ah, I don't expect 'em ter start showin' their powers fer a while, anyways. They're only four months old, y'see." Psy and Healer shared a surprised glance - they hadn't known that. "I'm pretty sure that in a few months, they'll start showin', an' then we can train 'em."

Psy nodded and his mind touched theirs as he began to speak - and the control room plunged into darkness. "_What!_" Psy's shocked voice rang out; Mama and Healer agreed with him. "_What the hell is goin' on?_"

Before the telepath could reach the control board, however, red dim lights flickered on; the three inhabitants stared in dismay as the control board's multiple lights died. Psy immediately ran his fingers over the switches and buttons: "_We're locked out! Somethin's hacked the controls!_"

Mama gasped and ran toward the large steel door; however, as soon as she reached it, she heard an ominous clicking sound - the door had locked itself. "No! Dearies! _Dearies!_" The elderly woman pounded on the glass in a desperate attempt to draw her children's attention, with no such luck.

The five teenagers remained blissfully unaware of Mama, Psy, and Healer's predicament; they were far too busy laughing. Danielle had hurled a ball that flew straight and true to the back of Logan's head. While the delighted girl dropped to the floor in hysteria, Caity grabbed the offending ball and tossed it toward Danielle; it smacked her right in the belly. "Ouch!" The startled girl cried out, and her sister grinned in triumph.

Will frowned; _no way_ would he and Danielle lose this game! He grabbed two balls and pelted them off in an alarming speed; Caity dodged - but Rich was behind her! However, he barely managed to duck in time, and so the two balls soared harmlessly over his head - only... Logan was behind him! The poor boy didn't have time to even process the sight of two balls hurling toward him before they found their home in his stomach.

"_Ow_..." the poor boy whimpered as Caity and Danielle ran to him; Rich and Will were on the ground, howling so hard that tears crept out of their eyes. Their laughter abruptly ceased, however, when the padded room vanished, only to be replaced with a swampy jungle. The five bewildered clones immediately huddled close together, staring in amazement at the remarkably realistic environment.

"No! _No!_" Mama had immediately realized what was occurring; the same force that had locked the trio in the control room with no access to anything had set up a high-level and dangerous scenario for the clones to face. This scenario was rarely used, it was so dangerous; as far as she knew, it hadn't been used for more than fifty years.

Healer and Psy apparently reached the same conclusion, for Healer began inspecting every crack and the air vent for a way out while Psy worked fervently to resume control. The elderly woman could only stare in dismay at her trembling children, praying for their safety.

"What's going on?" Logan whispered to his brothers and sisters, hoping that at least one of them would know - however, their faces told him that they knew nothing. The tiny boy gulped and burrowed in closer to Will, who slung a protective arm over his shoulders. Caity and Danielle clutched at each other, their faces astoundingly pale; Rich had taken a careful step forward, keeping his senses alert.

In the next five seconds, so many things occurred that Logan's head was left spinning: Will cried out, "I heard something!"; the gemstones in Caity and Danielle's foreheads began glowing bloody red as the two girls took on a strange expression; Rich whirled around, his brows furrowing as he stared questioningly at Will and an enormous creature burst out of the foliage. Logan did the only thing he thought of - he shrieked.

"_Aah!_"

The immense, scaly reptile opened its maw wide; the frightened clones could see the rows of jagged, pearly white teeth. The monster - shockingly fast for its huge size - sprinted toward them; Caity and Danielle let loose a chilling scream in unison. A black force ripped out of the frail girls' bodies and swallowed the five teenagers - so _cold!_

The tyrannosaurus-rex snarled in confusion as its prey disappeared under the darkness; it couldn't smell or hear them anymore, and the vaguely bird-like shadow rose above the reptile, who growled as its jaws snapped fruitlessly at the blackness as a mechanic voice rang out,

ERROR. AVOIDING FIGHT NOT PERMISSIBLE. RE-ENTER THE BATTLE, OR ACTION SHALL BE TAKEN TO ENFORCE RE-ENTRY.

The dinosaur needn't be frustrated any longer, for a blinding light streaked across the sky; it sliced neatly into the darkness. Two ear-splitting shrieks echoed as the shadowy bird shattered into two smaller birds before falling to pieces, and five bodies fell out of the black splinters.

The confused tyrannosaurus-rex barely had time to realize that the screaming, falling object was one of its prey when it swelled and transformed into a carbon copy of the creature itself! The reptile snorted in surprise as the green dinosaur landed with a thunderous crash; to his credit, dino-Logan didn't stay down long - he clambered to his feet and bravely charged the murderous monster.

While the two huge dinosaur kings wrestled, Will landed on Logan's head; he immediately got to his feet and, without knowing how he did it, watched in amazement as his robotic left arm transformed into a copy of the reptile's head! Its mouth was wide open, and on an instinct, Will aimed his dino-cannon at the snarling creature, and a brilliant blue-white beam shot out of the cannon's mouth!

It hit the monster dead in the eye, and it roared violently before reeling around and sprinting away to nurse its injuries. The green tyrannosaurus-rex immediately shrank down to a tiny green boy; Will had leapt off when he noticed his foothold was steadily growing smaller. "..._whoa._ How did we _do_ that?" Logan voiced in wonderment as he grabbed Will's human right arm. The older boy could only shrug before shrieking a shrill, girlish scream.

The angry dinosaur had returned; despite Will's pleads - "C'mon, grow! Go big and scary and with lots of sharp teeth!" – Logan couldn't do anything, and the two brothers huddled together as the vicious reptile stomped over to them, foul breath drifting from its maw.

During all that, Rich had landed in the trees; as he clutched at his dazed head in an attempt to halt the swirling, dizzy sensation, loud noises erupted from the foliage to his right. He carefully reached out and pushed the leaves away from each other only to gape in shock. Will was standing atop a _green_ dinosaur's head! And then the green reptile became _Logan!_

Oh no - the monster had returned! Rich flew into action before he could process what was going on; he hurled through the air a frightening speed, and a spilt-second before he hit the dinosaur, instinct told him to aim his hands ahead of him. They hit true; the tyrannosaurus-rex howled as Rich slammed into its huge head - and its eye, which already had been blasted by Will's sonic cannon, which now had been punched by Rich, was bleeding heavily. The monstrous creature swung its beastly head wildly, and caught Rich; the boy fell out of the air.

Oh, it was furious; it WOULD smash and chomp the prey for revenge! The dinosaur roared, the floor quaked, and the trees swayed as leaves fell in clumps. The reptile began stomping towards the three boys, who ran around wildly to escape its huge, clawed feet.

Again, during all_ that_ - as the boys were still falling, Caity and Danielle, despite being nearly unconscious, responded to the screaming instinct and felt warmth - _sunlight_ - coursing through their bodies; they slowly stopped falling, and came to a hover above the trees. However, the effort of flight was too much; they both blacked out and so fell onto the branches. Danielle groaned; her eyes opened a fraction and met Caity's three eyes staring at her.

An earth-shaking roar snapped them out of their daze; the girls stared in horror as the tyrannosaurus-rex tried its best to stomp their brothers to death. Danielle growled, and her eyes lit up like green miniature suns; before Caity could blink, her sister had taken off, speeding toward the dinosaur. Not going to allow her sister face the monster alone, Caity followed the instinct that was ringing in her head and vanished in a pillar of soundless smoke.

A whizzing sound sliced through the air, alerting the reptile that something was coming; it whirled around its huge head, and caught the sight of Danielle's glowing hands just before the green energy ball was hurled into the dinosaur's injured eye.

The tyrannosaurus-rex reacted in berserker rage; it roared and lunged at Danielle, but the girl disappeared in a burst of black smoke. The dinosaur halted, confused. Where had its prey gone? Growling, it scanned its surroundings and caught a glimpse of the smoke - the prey! It roared and bolted toward the location, only to meet a different girl.

Caity had emerged from the strange dimension only to discover the dinosaur heading straight at her! She reactively threw up her arms; green plasma burst out of them and hit the creature dead-on. Danielle appeared instantly next to her sister; the two of them clasped their hands together and took off into the air. They both hurled themselves toward the dinosaur, who was already reeling, and hit it in its chest.

It was too much for the reptile; it fell backwards and crashed into the ground, far too exhausted to get up. It moaned, and its tail thrashed around, narrowly missing Logan who had run to join his sisters.

"Wow!" The boy exclaimed upon reaching his sisters. "That was _so cool!_ Especially when you both disappeared in smoke! And _flew!_ A-and those green balls! _So_ cool!" Will and Rich soon joined the trio and grinned proudly at the beaming Danielle; Caity was hanging on Danielle's arm - her legs were quavering too hard to stand upon.

Rich nodded, and added, "And it was _awesome_ when you, Logan, _became_ that thing! How did you_ do_ that? And Will! When you made that blaster! Too cool!"

Will also had a praise to add: "And when you flew and punched that monster _in the eye!_ That's crazy!" The five clones' gleeful exclamations halted when the swampy jungle, and the moaning tyrannosaurus-rex, disappeared; a cold, metal room replaced it. "Ooh... looks like we're done," Will mustered. "C'mon, let's go and see Mama!"

Happily agreeing, his brothers and sisters followed him to the door that led out of the room. It opened before they reached it, and they abruptly turned left to the door that led to the control room. Like the previous door, it slid out of the way, and before any of them could take a foot into the room, they were tackled by a weeping Mama.

"Oh! Oh! _Oh!_" The elderly woman wailed as she dragged her children into a crushing hug. Healer was close behind; she immediately grabbed Rich, demanding,

"Where are you hurt? Tell me!"

Rich didn't even have time to answer before Psy stomped out of the room, his expression foul. He growled out, "_I don't_ believe _this! I couldn't get across ta the mainframe ter regain controls until after the kiddies beat that dinosaur!_" Grumbling, Psy stalked to the stairs, apparently to the mainframe center.

The five siblings blinked confusedly as Mama continued to weep and clutch at them while Healer probed every inch of them for injures. "Mama? What... what did we do wrong? We beat that thing! _And_ we used some powers!" Rich beamed at Mama, hoping to lift her spirits.

"Oh, dearie! That _wasn't_ supposed ter happen!" In response to the teenagers' curious looks, Mama explained, "We got locked out! What jest happened was a dangerous, high-leveled scenario that most Titans _never_ do, let alone beat! It was horrible, watchin' y'all being' beaten on by that... thing!" She broke down into fresh sobs, and Danielle immediately latched onto her.

"Oh, Mama! But we're all okay! Psy and Mark can... do their... computer thing and figure out what's wrong!" Logan nodded along with Danielle as he encircled his tiny arms around Mama's waist (or at least, partially). Caity nudged Danielle for space as she also put her arms around Mama. Will, however, decided to scoop all four up in a bear hug. Rich's worried eyes shone as he met Mama's teary-filled eyes.

"Really, Mama. Everything is fine!"

* * *

The tower was confused, oh so very baffled. Strange things had happened today, and the tower was left to puzzle out the mystery.

First, the Titans - _its_ Titans - had gone to the exercise room, _finally,_ but the other Titans, including the honorary Titan, had set the scenario to a... simple _ball-throwing_ exercise!

Oh, no, its Titans were not that weak! They are Nightwing (or Troia? The tower was still stumped by that one), Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven! Not weak! And so the tower took action; it had became far too incensed and impatient at the treatment of its Titans. It locked the three Titans in that control room and set up a relatively low-leveled scenario; the tower realized that after such a long absence, the Titans were likely to be out of shape - nothing a simple exercise wouldn't cure.

Imagine its shock and confusion when its Titans reacted with alarm and inexperience, and to top it off, all of their powers were switched around! Nightwing flew and had immense strength like Troia. Cyborg could shape-shift his robotic limbs into vaguely animalistic appearance, and Starfire and Raven both were so bewildering; they both unleashed a new soul-self - nothing like Raven's soul-self - and they both flew via solar means, unleashed starbolts along with Starfire's Tamaranean strength, not to mention accessing Raven's extra-dimensional teleportation!

_So_ odd. What _was_ going on? Its Titans displayed little to no teamwork, and took a rather long time to defeat that holo-tyrannosaurus-rex, though they had managed to defeat the scenario. The tower then allowed the two other Titans (and the honorary Titan) out of the control room and sat back to observe the interaction - the tower was beginning to become less certain that its Titans were actually _its_ Titans.

As it watched, an old, no, an _ancient_ memory bloomed into its mind of its Titans. _Hmm._ Perhaps... the tower pondered over this mystery, but a second later, a horrible, terrible pain broke its concentration! What was happening?

* * *

Author's Note: This is probably the silliest chapter in the entire story - Jurrasic Park mod! But, it does serve a purpose; we get a better look into the clones' powers! It turns out that they are not simple carbon-copies of the Titans - they are a nice mixture, instead.

A note about the bestial clones - specifically, CS-54: she is, possibly, the most dangerous of all. She possesses Cyborg's brilliant mind (the comic-universe Cyborg was a certified genius with an IQ of 196, as revealed in the mini-series which shares his origins), and she inherited Starfire's sheer tenacity. In short, she is unstoppable. Be very glad she's not after you.

I hope you're enjoying the story so far, dear readers! Carry on!


	9. Know Your Origins

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, but the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Know Your Origins**

"We're under attack!" Mark's voice howled out of the communication system set up throughout the tower. "Report to the underground bunker!"

Mama immediately grasped Logan's arm and ushered the four other clones downstairs to the underground shelter where Lucy was already waiting. Mark wasn't too far behind; the three Titans and Frost Queen, who had nothing better to do, had gone to investigate the attacks. "What's happenin'?" asked Lucy upon seeing Mark.

He pointed an annoyed glance at Lucy. "We're being attacked! What did you think I meant?" The redhead glared back at Mark, and he sighed. "I don't know. Remember that monster that attacked Frost Queen?" Lucy nodded and shuddered at the memory. "It's back, along with a whole slew of... _things._"

Mama opened her mouth to add a comment, but a great, terrible quake cut her off; she gathered her foster children into a huddle as Mark and Lucy raced to the door leading upstairs. "_Getoffa me!_" and "_Ow! Let me goooo!_" rang out, and Mama sighed heavily. "It's _not_ the time ter be fightin'! Get back here!"

Lucy and Mark ignored Mama's command, however, and together flung open the door only to cry out in shock. The three Titans and the lone villain stood there, startled; Healer's hand was raised - she obviously was going to open the door. Frost Queen recovered abruptly: "Did y'all_ feel_ that quake? Marcy, the..." Words apparently failed her, for the shaken villain clambered into the underground bunker and staggered to a seat near Mama.

Psy continued her sentence; "_The... tower's defense mechanism... activated. I... I've never seen anythin' like_ that. _I think the tower's original defense system was deactivated a long time ago, an' none o' the Titans knew that it ever existed. It... wow,_" Psy sighed heavily before leaning against the doorsill. Healer took on a morose expression as Rapid clutched at Lucy.

"It... was crazy. _Crazy._ We all were fighting those monsters, and..." Rapid faltered for a moment before swallowing. "Then there was this quake - you all felt it, didn't you? - and... this _huge_ force field went up! Whoosh!" Rapid had thrown up his arms for a dramatic effect. "It covered the whole isle! And a whole bunch of _big, heavy_ guns and lasers came out of the ground and the walls of the tower! And..." He mouthed soundlessly for a moment, finding his words. "The things - the attackers - were... pushed back so fast - none of the weapons ever fired. I don't know what did, but the attackers looked like they ran into a wall - but they were inside the force field! - and they were... _pushed_ out of the dome!"

Rapid fell silent, grasping tightly at Lucy's arm as the woman stared at him wordlessly. Mark frowned. "That can't be. The tower's computer has been out of commission for _years_ now!"

Frost Queen finally found her voice; "Boy, go an' look fer yerself." At this, Mark nodded and left the room, assumedly to look outside before going to the mainframe center. Psy took the seat between his two sisters, and Lucy gently led Rapid to the group. Healer walked closely behind the duo, and immediately went to Psy, probing and inspecting his wounds.

Rich, who had been observing the situation with his unnerving white eyes, frowned. "What... is going on? First that thing in the Danger Room, and now this?" Upon his comment, Frost Queen, Rapid, and Lucy all turned to Psy, Healer, and Mama curiously.

Psy sighed. "_What happened was_..."

* * *

The tower trembled; it hurt so badly. When those... attackers came, the tower was shocked. They also were its Titans! But that was _impossible_ - Nightwing (or Troia), Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven all were inside - how could there be _more_ Beast Boys, Cyborgs, Ravens, Starfires, and Nightwings attacking the tower? To further mystery, those attackers resigned as two separate Titans on its sensor, yet they were one person each! It was just as baffling as the Nightwing-and-Troia mystery. (The tower knew that it was impossible for Beast Boy to be Raven or Cyborg to be Starfire.)

However, because they had attacked the tower - which had _hurt_ - and obviously was intent on spiriting away its Titans, the tower took action; the Titans throughout the many years had long forgotten the defenses that Cyborg once built into the tower, but the tower never forgot.

It was pleased to note that its outer force field, courtesy of Troia, functioned as well as ever, that none of its weapons had jammed up from being stored away for so long, and that its inner force field, for shoving away dangerous objects, was still up. And so the tower nudged away the bizarre not-its-Titans-but-yet-its-Titans attackers and rested to heal from its injuries while puzzling out this mystery.

Very strange, indeed.

* * *

The masked man knelt on the edge of the pier, out of sight of the passers-by, and smirked as he gazed at the Titans' Tower. It had been a while since he had last gone near that tower. It was definitely shaping up to be... _fun._

With that happy thought, Deathstroke stood up and withdrew a small hand-held device which he used to activate his mini-hovercraft. The tower definitely would allow him in - after all, he shared blood with two Titans.

_Can't wait to say hello to them_... Chuckling, Deathstroke hopped onto the hovering skateboard and sped over the water toward to the tower.

* * *

Logan yawned sleepily as he nudged closer into the sleeping Danielle's side. Rich was by their side, lightly dozing. Will was stubbornly resisting the Sandman, however his fluttering eyelids suggested otherwise. Only Caity was wide awake; her left temple rested on the cold glass of the huge window as she stared down at the tumbling waves crashing on the shore of the island. It was barely midday, yet the clones were completely wiped out by the dinosaur scenario.

The adults were sitting around the briefing table, discussing the bizarre events; their faces all were serious (though occasionally Lucy would say something undeniably dirty and Mama would throw a stern glare in her way). Caity's ears occasionally caught snatches of their conversation; "Got hacked... HIVE, perhaps?... why would..."

A small flash of movement caught Caity's attention out of the corner of her sight; she moved her face, forehead squeaking on the glass, and gasped silently upon recognizing the black-and-orange mask of Deathstroke. "Mama!" Her urgent voice awoke her siblings; groggily rubbing away the sleep from their eyes, they moved aside to allow Mama access to the glass.

"What! Titans! He's returned!" Mama hollered over to the Titans; they all hurried forward, with Frost Queen, Mark, and Lucy following. Upon catching sight of Deathstroke, Healer immediately took flight toward the top of the tower; there, she would have plenty of space to dive-bomb him. Psy wasn't too far behind, and Rapid, naturally, was gone before Healer even moved a feather.

Mama frowned at Frost Queen. "Barbara, ain't ya gonna help 'em beat that guy?" The villain in question sneered.

"Nah, I don't think so."

Mama wasn't going down that easily, however. "He nearly killed Jon, Barbara. An' he beat ya on _national_ holovision - " Frost Queen scowled. " - don't ya wanna boost yer reputation? Besides, ya can't let Jon - yer _own_ brother - get killed!"

Frost Queen responded with a rude comment that was drowned out by Mark's cry: "Hey! They're bringing him here!" With that, the clones, Lucy, Mark, Mama, and Frost Queen all crowded close, fighting to peer out of the window at the three Titans who had Deathstroke surrounded. "I didn't think he was going to fight - look, he doesn't have his weapons out!" Mark, naturally, noticed what others hadn't.

Immediately, the group broke out in nervous murmurings; what was Deathstroke planning?

* * *

"Good afternoon, clones," Deathstroke greeted the five teenagers, a smirk gracing his tone. Mama frowned. Mark and Rapid each grabbed one of Lucy's arms, as she had started toward Deathstroke. Healer silently seated herself behind the clones, and Psy took his place by Frost Queen, who glared at Deathstroke.

"What do y' _want?_" Lucy snarled. "Spit it out!"

"Manners, darling," Deathstroke smoothly responded. "I'm here because I figured the clones would appreciate knowing their background. Interested, clones?" He turned his attention to the five children, who all were in deep thought. Mama gently laid her hand on Rich's shoulder, and he nodded.

Deathstroke leaned back in his seat, obviously planning to share some juicy information - however, Rapid cut in. "Like Lucy asked, _what_ do you want? _Why_ are you here?"

The masked man's single eye burned into Rapid. "Why not? I'm actually not your enemy; I was only _paid_ to attack you. Like I told this madam," Deathstroke nodded at Mama, "I bear no vendetta toward you at all." Rapid snorted, though he said nothing further after a warning look from Psy.

"Now, if nobody has any further qualms about me being here," Deathstroke added smoothly, "Then I'll gladly tell the clones what I know about them. Deal?"

Rich again nodded, and his brothers and sisters all sat up straight - what could this man know about them? Unknown to them all, Deathstroke had allowed himself a grin under his mask. "Like I said, I know some... rather interesting information about the original Teen Titans. Now, where shall I begin?" Deathstroke brought up a hand to his chin as he apparently pondered - or perhaps it was for drama - his own question. However, Caity already had a question.

"Um..." At the sound of her quiet, timid voice, Deathstroke snapped to attention.

"Yes, my dear?"

Caity swallowed before managing out, "I... Mama told me that... people don't have three eyes. ...Why?"

Deathstroke was silent for a moment; his companions all got the feeling that he was smirking with glee. "That, my dear, is because you're part demon." He sat back, ready to be entertained by the outburst that undeniably would occur. He was not disappointed.

"_What?_"

"You're _kidding!_"

"Oh_ please!_"

Caity and Danielle's faces had gone ashen at Deathstroke's answer, and their brothers frowned as they moved closer in order to better protect their sisters. Mama raised her hand, and all the uproar halted. "Sir," Mama began in a steely tone, "That is bullsh - " She halted, struggling for a proper word she could use in front of her children - after all her effort, she certainly wasn't going to be the one to teach them foul language! "...Undeniably _false._ Everybody knows that with the exception o' the Titan Starfire, all the original Titans were human."

Deathstroke snorted. "Oh, yes, and everybody knows that Raven had an unearthly beauty that captivated the men when they caught a glimpse of her face, which was why she wore a hood." His tone was deeply sarcastic, so they made no response. "That, madam, is a _myth._ Upon the Titans'..._ deaths,_ all records of them vanished. As far as we know, the only existing information on them resides in this tower; however, as you may have noticed, the tower doesn't share its secrets." Deathstroke had sat up straight; his lone eye burned with a rage. "I, however, know the truth. Raven was half human, half _demon_ - and she wore that hood because she was _terrified_ of people knowing her true heritage!"

Protests immediately came from the heroes: "Oh, _come_ on! I think that us _Titans_ might would know our origins better than _you_ do!" Rapid's voice was the loudest as usual. A slight movement could be seen under Deathstroke's mask; he had raised a single eyebrow.

"Oh, really? I know that my records are easily accessible on the tower's mainframe. Do tell me, what is on my profile?" The five clones stared with wide eyes as Psy stood, his face murderous, and stomped over toward the nearest monitor. After a moment of furious typing, his voice blasted out.

"..._This man is Deathstroke the Terminator, a mercenary. He, apparently, is immortal an' one o' the oldest foes o' the original Titans._" His voice held a bitter note, and while Psy walked back to his place beside Frost Queen, Rapid's mouth dropped as he gaped at Deathstroke.

"Hm, there you are. I daresay that I know the Titans better than anyone," His voice scoffed, "So I was _not_ joking when I said that Raven was half demon - _the daughter of Trigon._" Deathstroke fell into a smug silence; everybody knew the name Trigon by this time, for he had attacked Earth many, many times since the original Titans' passing. "Surprised?"

His single eye turned to Caity and Danielle. "I wonder whether that makes you Trigon's granddaughters, because you could be called Raven's children." Delighted by the horrified expressions on the girls' faces - even the clones knew who Trigon was - Deathstroke happily continued, "Hmm, yes. Raven was the one who brought Trigon to Earth the first few times. In fact, that was why the Teen Titans originally started; Raven gathered her teammates in a desperate attempt to defeat her _demonic_ father." It was obvious that Deathstroke would not let go of the fact that they had scorned Raven's demonic heritage.

"Dear Raven looked quite dashing in red skin and with four eyes, let me tell you that," Deathstroke chuckled, "But nowhere near as lovely as our _dear_ princess Starfire." Yet again he had hit an unknown spot; the three Titans' confused faces told him all he needed to know. "Don't tell me - you didn't_ know_ Starfire was the princess of Tamaran? At least, _please_ tell me you knew that her sister was Blackfire!" Again, Deathstroke was proven wrong; his audience shared a baffled glance. The man closed his eye briefly before speaking once more.

"Dear gods, do you know _nothing_ other than what the myths tell you? Starfire was the middle of three children born to King Myand'r and Queen Luand'r of Tamaran! Her older sister was born disabled; unable to fly and the title of Princess passed on to Starfire instead of her, Komand'r became bitter and took the name Blackfire after Koriand'r became known as Starfire - yes, the same Blackfire who terrorized the galaxies. Her baby brother Ryand'r became Wildfire, later Darkfire, of the Omega Team. Starfire came to Earth, obviously forsaking her royal title in the process, and died here!" Deathstroke's voice rose slightly in tone.

The man took a deep breath before he continued with torturing the clones with the unpleasant truths of the original Titans. "Well," He spoke in a sarcastic tone, "There's the _half-breed demon_ Raven, the _princess_ Starfire, and lest should I forgot, the almost _god-like_ Troia." He paused for a moment and feigned a look of surprise as well as he could under the mask. "Oh, dear me, you don't know about Troia, do you? She was raised by the Titans of the Myth - you know, those gods - and was supposed to become one herself, but alas, even all her god-like powers couldn't save her from death."

Deathstroke shook his head at the three Titans before he continued. "I always found it quite interesting that while the female members had either unpleasant... backgrounds or relations, it was the male members that made unsavory decisions - my particular favorite was when Nightwing became my apprentice." The masked man paused for a moment, clearly savoring the memory. "Too bad he was far too rowdy - I had to revoke his apprenticeship. Oh, Nightwing also was the original Red X; we never did discover who stole the uniform to become the new Red X."

Deathstroke trained his eye on the five distressed clones as he continued, obviously enjoying himself. "Oh, and Cyborg? He took up the Wildebeest costume briefly - too bad he was actually hypnotized; it truly would be fantastic if he was doing it on purpose. Ah," his tone took a soft edge, "And Beast Boy... I believed that he was guilty of several _murders_ under his belt. I do think that his first victim was Madame Rogue of the Evil Brotherhood, and he was guilty of... Terra's _death._"

Deathstroke chuckled; the sound echoed in the silent room, unnerving his audience. "Hmm, oh dear me. The Titans aren't quite the saints of the myths, are they?" At this, Deathstroke glanced at the three Titans who were silently fuming at him. "Oh, before I forget, perhaps I ought to mention that the same Titans welcomed my son Jericho and daughter Ravager into the team," An undeniable sneer could be heard in his voice, "And occasionally they would come to _me_ for help, and once Beast Boy actually called me a... friend."

Satisfied with the fun, Deathstroke fell silent and smirked under his mask as the five clones looked near to tears and the three Titans looked troubled at their origins. Mark gaped wordlessly; Mama had scurried to her children and enveloped them into a hug; Frost Queen rose her eyebrows, clearly caught off guard, and Lucy frowned.

However, before they could respond with a scathing answer, Deathstroke turned his attention back to the teenagers. "Now, I have my own questions. I'm quite curious, actually. As you all know, there had been no 'normal' clones created, and obviously the ones before us aren't normal, but most clones also had a side effect of which many were unaware."

The five siblings glanced at each other; their attention was definitely perked, and Mama stared at Deathstroke, frowning slightly. Lucy shared a look with Mark, and the three Titans and Frost Queen stared on, curious. Deathstroke knew that he had their attention so he continued. "It wasn't only physical appearances, but also also... health-wise. Many clones died before they even awakened because they were far too unstable; either their DNA had whole sections missing or they were severely deformed; a few even dissolved." The man narrowed his eye at the five clones. "I noticed something _quite_ interesting... darling, if you would please come here."

Deathstroke pointed at Caity, who gulped before getting up and walking to Deathstroke's side. He motioned for her to take a seat front of him, facing away from him. She did so, and he pointed at Danielle, calling out, "Come here, too." The girl complied; Deathstroke also seated her facing away from him.

"Now, observe this..." Deathstroke leant over, placing his mouth near Danielle's right ear. "Girl, what is your name?"

No response.

"Is it SR-110? Or have you been bestowed with a human name?" He spoke slightly louder.

Still no response.

"Didn't your mother teach you that it's rude to ignore people?" Deathstroke was practically shouting into Danielle's right ear; Caity had glanced over, alarmed, and the others watching rose to their feet. Still, Danielle gave no response. Deathstroke nodded curtly before moving to Caity's left side. "Keep watching straight ahead," He instructed Caity who turned her wide eyes back to her brothers sitting across the room.

The masked man leant forward slightly and waved his hand near Caity's two left red eyes. Just as it had been with Danielle, the girl didn't respond. Deathstroke retrieved a miniature laser from his belt and shone it directly into Caity's left eyes despite the protests of people watching.

Just as before, Caity didn't flinch or move away. Deathstroke swapped the tiny laser for a larger flashlight and shone it into her left eyes. Apparently satisfied at the lack of response, Deathstroke tucked away the flashlight and returned to his seat. "Thank you, girls. Go back to your fellow clones."

Caity and Danielle immediately scrambled back to their brothers, bewildered as to why their brothers, along with the Titans, Frost Queen, Mark, Lucy, and Mama all were staring in shock at them. "...What?" Danielle mustered up after shooting Caity a confused glance.

"As you can see," Deathstroke's smug voice grabbed their attention, "SR-110 is completely deaf in her right ear and SR-112 is blind in her left eyes. I've yet to determine the male clones' defects - possibly NT-37's lies in his white eyes and CB-104 was already 'fixed' by the scientists who gave him his robotic limbs. CB-91? Perhaps it is a learning disability? Ah, we will know soon enough."

Mama could only gape wordlessly at her foster children - _four_ months, and it had never occurred to her how persistent Caity was in keeping her siblings to her right side all the time or how Danielle always hovered at people's right sides, which was her left side. As the elderly woman sat there, clearly too shocked to find her thoughts, Danielle frowned at Deathstroke.

"_Deaf?_ But I can hear! And Caity can see! She's not _blind!_"

The masked man snorted before replying, "You're only a few month old, clones. To you, hearing out of your left ear or seeing out of your right eye was all you knew - naturally you assumed it was the same with everybody. But let me assure you, you were supposed to see and hear out of both ears and... all eyes. You _are_ half-deaf, SR-110, and half-blind, SR-112."

Caity sunk low into her seat as Rich and Will began peering into her two red eyes; Danielle squirmed away from Logan who had taken to playing with her right ear. Mama called out, "Oh, boys, leave yer sisters alone," and they immediately complied, however they couldn't help but occasionally wave near Caity's blind eyes or whisper into Danielle's deaf ear.

Lucy had had enough. "Oy, y' _sonofa_-! If yer jest gonna rub it in the kiddies' faces that they ain't normal an' that their..." She paused for a moment to find the right word, "Parents ain't completely good, then feel free t' _kiss mah purty ass!_" She even whirled around and mooned Deathstroke, much to the horror of Mama. Mark snorted into his hand and Rapid became red at the sight; the five clones stared, utterly baffled by this bizarre behavior. Frost Queen closed her eyes and muttered something about the outrageous actions of today's youth; Psy snickered as Healer's eyes bugged out of her sockets.

Deathstroke, to his credit, gave no reaction other than a dry comment, "Lovely. If it wasn't for this mask, I just might." Lucy scowled and snapped back up her pants, much to the two elderly women's relief. (Lucy knew that Mama would _murder_ her later, but Deathstroke had deserved it!)

He gazed at his obviously unhappy audience. "After all I did for you, I've yet to receive so much as a 'thank you,' especially from you three. I'm sorely disappointed." The three Titans glanced at each other. "But then, I don't expect you to remember. You _were_ frozen and only just beginning to thaw out; that tends to play havoc with your memory."

Mama and Frost Queen both snapped to attention; this was the answer to Psy's age! "What'a ya mean?" Frost Queen snarled out, and Mama wondered if she could use her powers to search through Deathstroke's memories. However, there seemed to be no need for it because the masked man was all too glad to answer.

"Thirty years ago, I put those three Titans into deep hibernation, and two months ago I deemed it proper to thaw them out." Healer's eyes widened as she let slip a gasp. "Ah, I see that you _do_ remember it." Deathstroke's voice held a note of pleasant surprise. "Well done, madam."

Rapid stuttered before he managed to croak out, "W-What! Now, now just hold on a moment! _Who_ gave you the right to_ freeze_ us?"

Deathstroke tiled his head before replying, "I seem to recall you asking me the same thing after I had woken you up. My answer remains the same; due to certain intelligence I received, I deemed it wise to hide and store several Titans for a while. Pray tell, do you recall how I informed you that the HIVE had murdered every Titan?" Mama gasped. "Yes, it was not merely a disappearance; it was literally a _purge._ The HIVE has always been planning to dominate the world, and the Teen Titans served merely as a stumbling block in their path."

Deathstroke stood up; obviously he was nearly done with what he had come for. "I just thought I'd save a few Titans so the Teen Titans wouldn't become entirely extinct - they always were the best test of my ability, and I'd hate to see them go." At this, the masked man turned and strode toward the door.

"Oh... one more thing. Beware the traitor amongst yourselves."

With this final cryptic warning, Deathstroke left the room.

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, Lucy mooned the deadliest man in the world and lived to tell the tale.

For those of you who are familiar with the Titans' history (both comic and cartoon), this chapter might be a bit boring to you, but it's still necessary because the clones (and the future Titans) didn't know their origins. As Slade mentioned, all knowledge of the original Titans had been lost.

You will notice that I mixed comic and cartoon canon into the Titans' history - while most of the Titans had a purely comic backstory, I added in the cartoon reference of Nightwing (then Robin) being Slade's apprentice, and how he created the persona of Red X.

Now a tiny bit of the HIVE's plan has been revealed - they wanted world dominance! (Honestly, who doesn't?) But what is the whole story? Read on, my dear readers, and you will find out!


	10. Captured!

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, though the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Captured!**

The tower had observed the events between Jericho and Ravager's father and the three Titans, honorary Titan, villian Frost Queen, Cyber Storm and Delphia's daughter, Tsunami's son, and its Titans with great interest. Was it really true that the information on its Titans had been lost? The very idea was ridiculous! After all, its Titans were _right_ there!

And yet... its Titans seemed to have forgotten themselves - or, the tower realized with dread, its suspicions were correct; its Titans were actually _not_ its Titans. After all, the tower mused, Raven certainly would never forgot the fact that she was half-demon, nor would Starfire forgot her royal hertiage, nor Troia her god-like origins. (Granted, Troia was female, not male like the odd Nightwing-and-Troia persona that had baffled the tower thus far.)

Sighing, the tower turned its ponderings to other things; its plan was far from over. It didn't have the time to puzzle out the mystery of its Titans - if they even truly were its Titans. The monitor in the secret, dusty room lit up as the tower linked itself to the government's computer center.

After several keywords and coding, the tower had established an untraceable number and dialed a specific holovision. The tower waited for the person to answer; the tower had taken care that they would converse via typing instead of face-to-face, a snag the tower still hadn't managed to avoid.

WHO CALLS?

_YOUR AGENT, DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR._

WHICH ONE? I HAVE QUITE A FEW JOBS, AS YOU KNOW.

_YES, I AM AWARE OF THAT. I WAS REFERRING TO THE JOB I HANDED TO YOU - INFORMING THE CLONES OF THEIR PAST._

I DID THAT ALREADY. WHY HAVE YOU CONTACTED ME? I WAS PAID IN ADVANCE.

_THAT IS CORRECT. HOWEVER, AS YOU HAVE PERFORMED EXCEPTIONALLY, YOU WILL RECEIVE A SMALL BONUS._

HOW KIND OF YOU. I'M SURPRISED YOU ALREADY KNEW I COMPLETED THE JOB - I ASSUME YOU WERE ABLE TO BYPASS THE TOWER'S SECURITY? JUDGING FROM THE FREQUENCY, YOU ARE CALLING ME FROM A GOVERNMENTAL NUMBER. INTERESTING THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD GET INVOLVED.

_I DO NOT SHARE MY SECRETS, DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR. REGARDLESS, YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR ASSIGNMENT ADMIRABLY - YOU MAY EXPECT AN ADDITIONAL TEN THOUSAND IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT BY TONIGHT._

MUCH APPERICATED.

_I WILL BE CALLING AGAIN SHOULD I HAVE NEED OF YOUR SERVICES, DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR. DO NOT BOTHER TO TRACE ME - YOUR ATTEMPTS WOULD BE FRUITLESS._

Before Deathstroke could type in a reply, the link was severed. "...Who are you?" The elderly man frowned as he stared at the dark screen. Then he shrugged and shook off his frown. "Ah, well! Just made nearly a million just for telling those clones their history - I'm not going to complain."

As Deathstroke turned his attention to other things, the tower had already moved on to the next part of its plan. Still poking around in the government's network, the tower created yet another untraceable number and contacted a government agent's communicator. The tower could barely contain its excitement; this was it! One more push before things set into motion.

YES?

_AGENT TWO-SEVEN-SEVEN-FOUR, YOUR ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN CHANGED._

WHO IS THIS?

_SUPERVISOR TWENTY-EIGHT. REPORT._

THE MISSION HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL SO FAR. I TIPPED OFF THE HIVE, AS PER ORDERS, ON THE LOCATION OF THE CLONES. THE CLONES, ALONG WITH THEIR GUARDIANS, ARE CURRENTLY IN HIDING IN THE TITANS' TOWER. HOWEVER, DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR CAME TO WARN THEM OF A TRAITOR IN THEIR MIDST.

_EXCELLENT. AS I HAVE MENTIONED, YOUR OBJECTIVE HAS BEEN CHANGED. IRONICALLY, THE TRAITOR TO WHOM DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR REFERRED TO WILL BE YOU. CONTACT THE HIVE AND INFORM THEM THAT YOU WILL HAND THE CLONES OVER TO THEM._

WHAT? NO - I - I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS WISE. AND HOW DID DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR KNOW OF MY OBJECTIVES?

_DO NOT CONCERN YOURSELF - DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR DOES NOT KNOW YOUR TRUE OBJECTIVES; HE ONLY KNOWS THAT YOU ARE A HIVE AGENT. WHAT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT YOU WERE ACTUALLY PLANTED IN THE HIVE. YOU WILL INFORM THEM THAT YOU HAVE THE CLONES, AND THAT YOU WILL DISABLE THE TOWER'S SECURITY._

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT. THE TITANS' TOWER'S SECURITY IS HIGHLY ADVANCED, MUCH MORE THAN ANYTHING I HAVE EVER SEEN.

_THE GOVERNMENT RARELY SHARES ITS SECRETS WITH LOW-RANKED OFFICERS, AGENT TWO-SEVEN-SEVEN-FOUR. AS SUCH, I WILL PROVIDE THE CODE TO DISABLE THE TITANS' TOWER'S SECURITY. YOU WILL GIVE THE HIVE ACCESS TO THE CLONES._

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. MY ASSIGNMENT WAS TO PERFORM AS A SPY WITHIN THE HIVE -

_YES, AND THIS WILL GIVE YOU GREAT STANDING WITHIN THE HIVE; THEY WILL PROMOTE YOU TO A HIGHER RANK AND YOU WILL BE IN A BETTER POSITION TO STRIKE THE HIVE DOWN FROM WITHIN._

AND THE CLONES?

_YOU WILL RECEIVE REINFORCEMENT. HERE IS THE CODE - TYPE IT INTO THE TITANS' TOWER MAINFRAME, AND ITS DEFENSES WILL SHUT DOWN. ONCE THAT HAPPENS, CONTACT THE HIVE AND HAND OVER TO THEM THE CLONES ALONG WITH THE OTHERS IN THE TOWER. REINFORCEMENT WILL ARRIVE WITHIN THREE HOURS AND YOU ARE TO MAINTAIN THE APPEARANCE OF A LOYAL HIVE AGENT._

UNDERSTOOD.

_DO NOT FAIL, AGENT TWO-SEVEN-SEVEN-FOUR._

The tower signed off, and let out a huge sigh. Everything was balanced on that agent - should the spy fail... the tower shuddered at the thought. The "traitor" could not fail - the plan_ needed_ to succeed!

The tower turned its attention to the people inside it; soon, the HIVE would attack. When that happened, the tower would have to be ready to contact the reinforcement.

* * *

"Clones!" The cold voice rang out in the dark room - the subjects glanced at each other as they stood at attention. "The spy within the tower has informed us that the tower's security will be disabled. Your job, clones, is to distract the Titans as our specifically-trained agents detain the primary clones."

BR-13 glanced at his brothers BN-66 and SN-23, along with his sister CR-70 before turning his attention to the purple-robed figure. His wheezing voice piped up, "But... but... it is... OUR jobs... to capTURE... our brothERS and... SISters!"

"_Enough,_ BR-13." The clone in question fell silent as he cowered before the HIVE representative. "You have failed in that, clones, and so that job will go to properly-trained officers. You will serve as a distraction. Stand at ready, clones. We depart in an hour."

After the figure had left the dark, moldy room, NR-130 glanced at her brother CN-5 and sister SB-47 before speaking up, "We will not fail, my brothers and sisters - we will prove ourselves to be better than the primary clones!" Cheers answered her, and the high voice of CS-54 sliced through the rabble:

"Indeed. Should CS-54's brothers and sisters cause CS-54 to fail her duty, CS-54 will not be... pleased."

BR-13 gulped; there was no doubt to whom that was aimed. "BR-13... will... NOT fail!"

"Good. CS-54 is pleased with that."

* * *

Rapid yawned. "Ugh, monitor duty, how I hate you!" The bored Titan moaned as he squirmed in his seat. "C'mon, clock, go faster!" He yawned again; he had stayed up late the previous night and was quickly regretting it. His eyelids were growing heavy... surely a catnap wouldn't hurt...

Barely a moment later, Lucy's voice jerked Rapid out of his slumber: "The city's under attack!" The redhead was at the Titan's side. "What're y' doin, sleepin'!?" Rapid shot out of his seat.

"No - no! O-only for a second!"

Lucy snorted. "Only fer a second? Ya were sleepin' fer _hours!_" Rapid swirled around and gasped upon seeing the clock - Lucy was correct. He had fallen asleep for two hours. With a sinking sense of dread, he turned to the monitor; the city was indeed under attack. Rapid immediately scambled for the speaker.

"Titans! The city is under attack! Go to Central Park! I repeat, go to Central Park!" Rapid turned to Lucy. "Lucy, get Mark and tell him to keep an eye on the tower. I'll be back!"

With that, he was gone in a literal flash. Lucy nodded, and whirled toward the door leading to the stairs.

* * *

"Dearies, stay close ta me, an' don't worry! Everythin'll be fine!" Mama tried to reassure her foster children as they crowded in close to the holovision. Lucy sat next to Mama; Mark had gone off to supervise the tower's security. Mama glanced at Lucy. "Oh, I do hope they're careful."

Lucy nodded, her face white, as she glued her eyes on the holovision and the battle as it unfolded.

* * *

"What _are_ you!?" Rapid cried out upon catching sight of them - monstrous, twisted creatures.

The green one with four black eyes snarled out, "I... am BR-13! They... are... my... brotHERS and... SISters!" With this declaration, BR-13 roared and hurled toward Rapid as a mutated bear. Rapid was gone, however, by the time the clone reached the spot where he had once stood.

Healer took to sky, but two of the clones had followed her. SB-47's lone arm glowed with a green starbolt as her face exploded into a muzzle full of sharp teeth. Healer barely managed to dodge the clone, but SN-23 was right behind her; his mouth stretched into a feral smile as he grabbed Healer's feathery wings with his bony, webbed hands.

As the trio struggled overhead, Psy was tackled by CN-5, but he easily sent the clone soaring with a telekinetic blast - a shimmering wall that came out of air itself. A lumbering tiger on three legs leapt at Psy: BN-66. Psy ducked before hitting his mind with a powerful telepathic burst that invaded and twisted the clone's very conciousness inside out. CN-5, upon hearing BN-66's roar of pain, lauched his robotic arms toward the telepath. Psy barely managed to stop the objects with a telekinetic shield, only to drop it when BN-66's hunchbacked wolf form slammed into him.

Rapid wasn't faring any better; BN-13 had cleverly transformed into a cobra, and despite the cobra's squashed face and unusually wide body, maintained all of the snake's deadly speed. Rapid barely dodged the strike when a black wall appeared out of nowhere. NR-130 had entered the battle; her four blue eyes glared at Rapid in hatred as she raised her two-fingered hands and slammed them together. The black wall erupted forward; Rapid narrowly managed to slip free from the living trap and circled the two clones, his mind scrambling for a plan.

CS-54 and CR-70 glanced at each other before tiptoeing behind Psy; CS-54's robotic hand transformed into a cannon that glowed with green solar light as CR-70's two human eyes - one above the other - glowed with a sickly black sheen. Before the two cyborg clones could strike, however, an icy lance slammed against their backs; Frost Queen had seen the battle on the holovision and rushed to her brother's protection.

The elderly woman abruptly rose into the sky on an ice pillar; as CS-54 shattered the pillar, Frost Queen leapt onto a new ice slide. CR-70 growled, and leapt toward the slide. Her robotic arms caught the ice and dug in; she pulled herself up, only to discover that Frost Queen had abandoned the slide! The weathered villain eased herself to ground with an blast of ice, and CS-54 swiftly backpedaled to avoid the blizzard.

A cry to the left informed Frost Queen that NR-130 had trapped Rapid within her soul-self wall and that BR-13, as a mutant cobra, had bitten the speedster. The Titan collasped to the ground, thrashing under the effects of the clone's deadly venom. NR-130 and BR-13 glanced upward before leaping out of the way - just in time, for Healer had sprialed down to the ground.

The unconsicious woman crashed into Rapid; SB-47 landed next to BR-13, her toothy mouth giggling at the mess. SN-23's unusually long arms flexed casually as he glanced toward Frost Queen; the woman could tell that he was itching for another fight. The villain, however, didn't give herself much time to despair over the fate of the two Titans as she threw up an ice shield - just in time, for CR-70 had hurled herself toward the elderly woman.

Frost Queen unleashed a blizzard upon the six clones before whirling around only to witness BN-66 spitting into Psy's eyes as a three-legged llama; the telepath cried out and grabbed at his eyes - the spit was acidic. CN-5 took advantage of the hesitation and threw a vicious punch toward Psy's head that took the man down.

Frost Queen screamed as she shot into the sky on an ice pillar. The Titans had been beaten! Those - those _monsters_ were too powerful! Before she could think out a plan, CS-54, annoyed at the fact that her enemy had evaded her thus far, blew apart the foothold with a blast from her solar cannon. CR-70 and NR-130 thrusted out their hands; a black, inky force caught Frost Queen as the elderly woman tumbled to the ground, unconsicious.

BR-13 wheezed happily as he glanced at his brothers and sisters. "We... have... succEEDed! We... beat... thEM!" BN-66 nodded, tottering on his one leg as SB-47 giggled with her frighteningly large fanged mouth. NR-130 glanced at CS-54.

"Contact the master. We have completed our objectives."

The cyborg girl nodded. "Very well. CS-54 is pleased; she has succeeded in her mission." CR-70 allowed herself a cruel grin as she glanced between the beaten Titans and Frost Queen. CN-5 grabbed the elderly woman's arm and dragged her over to Rapid and Healer's bodies; SN-23 was close behind with Psy's body.

"Yes... CS-54 is _very_ pleased. Excellent job, brothers and sisters."

The only sound left in the oddly empty park as the clones departed was BR-13's wheezing laughter.

* * *

Seven pairs of wide eyes stared in disbelief at the holovision. Mama swallowed. "Oh, my. Dearies, dearies?" The five teenagers glanced behind themselves at her. "Don't worry, kiddies. They'll be fine. They'll be fine - really." Her voice trailed off, trembling.

In all honesty, the Titans were doomed.

Lucy swallowed and stood up. Blinking away tears, she ran toward the stairs and disappeared beyond the door. Mama glanced at the five troubled clones, who stared miserably at the mutated clones on the holovision. "Oh..." Instantly understanding, she knelt between Logan and Danielle. "Y'all_ ain't_ monsters."

The teenagers glanced up at her, eyes heavy with tears. "Lookie, jest because they're... like that an'… well... it don't mean yer monsters. You ain't like 'em!" Mama glanced at the holovision which still showed the eight twisted, monstrous clones. "Y'all human! Y'all knows how ter love! That's important!"

The woman immediately scooped up her children into a group hug. "Never think yer monsters, y' hear me?" The five clones nodded as they huddled in close to their foster mother. Mama's eyes closed as a tear fell out. "My dearies, my dearies..."

* * *

"Mark! Markie?" Lucy's voice rang out in the hallway leading to the tower's mainframe. "Where y' at?" The redheaded woman paused upon nearing the shattered door. "Wha... Mark!" She rushed inside, only to cry in shock. Mark was lying on the floor, blood pooling around his head.

"Mark!" She grabbed him, and Mark's eyes fluttered open. "Oh, thank God. Only a scratch," Lucy muttered as she tugged Mark upright. "Y' alright, Markie? What happened here?"

Mark groaned. "I don't know! The computer exploded on me!" Lucy frowned and glanced at the control board - Mark was right, it looked as it had blown apart. "Lucy, I think the attack in the Central Park was a distraction."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Momma!"

Mark gasped; he scrambled to his feet, and the duo rushed from the room, dreading what they might discover.

* * *

The door slid open; several figures silently stepped through it, leveling their blasters at the unsuspecting Mama, who was still clutching at her clones. Caity frowned; she opened her green eye and gasped.

At that gasp, many things happened: Danielle's eyes snapped open and immediately took on a dangerous glow - the girl blasted off, flying toward an agent; Will leapt up and hurled himself at another man; Logan transformed into a lightning-quick leopard; Rich's white eyes flashed as a force field appeared out of nowhere; Mama gasped and clutched at her chest; Caity's eyes narrowed as a black force ripped out of her, and an henchman managed to fire off a shot a spilt second before Rich's force field appeared.

The stunning blast hit Mama squarely in the head; the elderly woman collasped, and her children cried out in horror. Caity shrieked as the black force was shattered by a light beam from one of the goons' guns; Danielle was hit by two tranquilizer darts and fell to the floor, unconsicious. An officer calmly hit the leopard on the skull; Logan fell next to Danielle, and Will was knocked out by a stunner. Rich's force field had disappeared, as the boy had lost concernation when Mama was stunned. He was quickly taken care of by an agent.

Only Caity remained, and she was quickly handled with a single tranquilizer dart. The henchmen glanced at each other. "Report to the Mistress. We have captured the clones and the old woman."

"No!"

The surprised men barely had time to turn around when Mark slammed into one; the boy grabbed the agent's gun and aimed it toward the other goons. "Drop your weapons!" The lackeys glared at him, but complied. Lucy ran toward Mama, a pipe wrench gripped in one hand. "How's Mama?"

"Momma's fine!" At Lucy's answer, Mark's face melted into a look of relief.

"Lucy, go get the first aid kit!" The redhead nodded and took off. Mark glared at the officers. "Huh-uh, don't even think of it. Back up!" The henchmen immediately took a step back when Mark raised the blaster to their level. "I know how to use this, and I'm not afraid to!"

Mark was deadly serious, and the HIVE agents could tell. Mark ran down the room toward the unconsicious clones and Mama, and dropped next to Danielle, feeling for a pulse. "You're really lucky they're not hurt bad," He snarled out. "Lucy!"

Her voice rang out behind him; "Ah'm on mah way!" Mark nodded and stood up, training the blaster on the goons. What he didn't expect was Lucy's shout of "_Markie!_" and a heavy object slamming into the back of his head; stars flashed before his eyes before he fell to welcoming darkness.

* * *

The tower waited until the HIVE henchmen left the borders before turning its attention to its access in the government's central network. Everything was proceeding well according to the plan - now only it has to contact the reinforcement. Agent 2774 had done the job admirably well.

_DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR._

AH, I RECONGIZE THE FREQUENCY. MY MYSTERY AGENT.

_I HAVE NEED OF YOUR SERVICES ONCE AGAIN._

WHAT IS IT?

_THE CLONES HAVE BEEN BETRAYED BY THE HIVE TRAITOR. THE HIVE AGENT IS AN UNDERCOVER GOVERNMENT SPY ACTING ON ORDERS. HOWEVER, THE AGENT IS UNABLE TO RESCUE THE CLONES ALONE. YOU SHALL DO IT. I WILL PROVIDE THE COORIDANTES AND YOU WILL INFILTRATE THE PLACE WITHIN THREE HOURS. UNDERSTOOD?_

THE TRAITOR IS ACTUALLY A DOUBLE-TURN COAT? FASICANTING.

_DEATHSTROKE?_

THREE HOURS? YOU WANT ME TO SNEAK IN THE HIVE'S MAIN BASE TO RESCUE THE CLONES?

_YES. I WILL PAY THE USUAL FARES._

I'M AFRAID THAT WON'T DO. ON SUCH A SHORT NOTICE, NOT TO MENTION FOR SUCH A HAZARDOUS MISSION, I DEMAND FIVE TIMES THE USUAL PAYMENT, AND IN ADVANCE AS ALWAYS.

_THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. TEN MILLION WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT IN AN HOUR._

OH, TEN TIMES THE USUAL AMOUNT? HMM, THIS JOB TAKES THE PRIORITY, THEN.

_DO NOT FAIL, DEATHSTROKE THE TERMINATOR._

CONSIDER IT DONE.

The tower sighed as it signed off the link; ten million was quite a blow; however, three hundred years was a long time to earn interest on the Titans' accounts. Ten million was nothing compared to its Titans - the tower would gladly empty its account of every last penny to ensure the safety of its Titans - or its Titans' children.

Now, there was nothing to do but sit back and wait for Jericho and Ravager's father to do his job. Only then would the tower finally be reunited with its Titans - no, that was wrong. Only then would the tower finally meet its Titans' children (the tower prided itself on finally puzzling out the mystery; its Titans-look-alikes were actually their clones, though the tower preferred the term 'children').

The only thing to do was wait... and pray.

* * *

Mark groaned, and immediately regretted it when his head throbbed. "Mark?" Mama's voice greeted him out of the darkness. "My boy, are ya okay?" Mark opened his heavy eyelids and met Mama's worried eyes.

"Wh... where are we?" He croaked out as he craned his head around, soaking in his surroundings. The two were bound in chains latched to the wall; a single door was the only exit to this windowless room.

Mama frowned as she answered, "I'm not sure. I think we're in some kind of prison," Mark nodded as he glanced at the moldy walls. "When we were bein' brought in, I saw a sign... Markie, I think we're in the HIVE base."

"What?" Mark gasped. "Where's Lucy?" His eyes widened. "Oh no! She tried to warn me before I was knocked out – where is she?"

Mama began to speak, however the door opened. Mama squinted against the onslaught of the light. "You! Where's my girl an' my kiddies?"

"They're bein' held in 'nother room," The HIVE agent stepped down into the room and came to a stop before the chained duo. "The Mistress was awful pleased ter finally git 'em. So much, in fact, tha' Ah'm bein' promoted ta manager o' this base."

Mama's mouth dropped as Mark snarled out, "_Lucy!_"

* * *

Rich moaned as his eyes slowly slid open. Blinking, he peered left and saw Logan and Caity. To his right were Danielle and Will - they all were in some sort of tubes. Rich struggled to his feet, but abruptly collapsed - he was far too weak to stand. He groaned as he pounded at the glass holding him prisoner.

The spacious room was filled with machines that beeped and monitors that flickered. Rich shuddered when he saw the large honeycomb logo printed on the wall opposite of them - the sign of the HIVE.

He began to gasp, and as he continued to pound at the glass, Caity's eyes fluttered weakly. _Death._ Rich halted, staring in bewilderment at his sister. Had he just heard her voice in his head?

_Graveyard._ Rich's eyes widened as the scene before him began to swim; he slammed his hand into the glass as he fought to stay upright. _Pain. Danger._ No... no... the world spun wildly as Rich slumped against the glass. Dimly, he could see Danielle's eyes open; Logan and Will had began to totter. Caity's face had gone pallid.

_Death._

Everything was going dark... with a final moan, Rich blackened out after one final whisper from Caity.

_Graveyard..._

* * *

Author's Note: Well, things are certainly heating up! Lucy betrayed her family, and the Titans' Tower is planning something...

I hope the fight scenes aren't too dull for you - it's certainly a tricky balance to maintain in fiction!

I don't have much to say, other than that the next chapter will be an exciting one - that's right, we will finally be seeing the Titans we know and love!

Read on, my dear readers!


	11. Divided We Fall

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans.

Warning: This chapter is over double the usual length, however it definitely makes up for it in epicness - that's right, the Titans we know and love! Enjoy!

* * *

**Divided We Fall**

Graveyard...

_The figures crept silently through the dark, damp corridor. They had a mission to complete, and they did not dare fail it; indeed, the survival of the world hung heavily on their already-burdened shoulders._

_The frontmost being, apparently the leader, halted and his followers came to a stop. In response to an unseen signal, the behemoth of the group raised an arm; atop it an odd artifact whirled softly. After several tense moments, a deep voice rumbled from the giant: "I ain't gettin' any signals, Bat-Boy. There's nothin' ahead of us."_

_The leader nodded and at another unseen signal, the tall woman raised her hand as a gentle, alien green light radiated from it. Now able to see ahead of them, the group moved again, cautiously picking their way in the dingy hallway._

_After they had gone about fifty yards, they again came to a pause; the leader nodded toward the silent cloaked figure who replied in a low, gravelly voice, {I sense no being other than us. We are completely alone.}_

_Apparently satisfied with the answer, the leader commanded his team, "All right. We'll take a five minutes' rest - God knows we need it - and review our objectives." With a silent collective sigh, the weary team found their seat on the puddle-laden floor. "Okay. As we all know, we're here because..."_

_The leader turned his gaze to the woman with the star-strewn uniform who picked up on the train of his thought. "Because when Gar and I dealt with those carjackers, we found a discarded recording of HIVE origins." The leader nodded, and the green man, eager to toss in his two cents, spoke up next._

_"Yeah, we all knew that HIVE always wanted to conquer the world an' all that jazz, but man, this stuff is serious! Like Donna told y'all, that tape fell apart after we listened to it, but I remember it sayin' that it's almost ready to go ahead with its plan t' kill all supers in the world!"_

_Just as the green man fell silent, the hulking cyborg piped up, "Man, this stinks! An' ter top it all, a buncha supers disappeared last week, an' attacks went through the roof! Justice League, the Agency, Doom Patrol, Freedom Fighters, an' even the Green Lantern Corps agents on Earth all were attacked, too. A few of their members were captured, an' they figured that because we rubbed shoulders with the HIVE before, mebbe we could help."_

_The behemoth shook his head as the woman supplying the unearthly light added to the brainstorm, "The HIVE seems serious this time. I mean, they've never put up so much resistance before, let alone abduct superheroes in broad daylight! Something really bad is going to happen, I'm worried." At the golden woman's words, the team fell silent again as each member stared at the moist, mold-ridden ground, brooding._

_The cloaked woman raised her hooded head as she whispered, {This place... is befouled with a great evil. I have not felt such evil since Trigon.} She glanced at the alien sitting across the circle from her. {I fear Koriand'r is correct. I sense something terrible is coming.}_

_The leader sighed heavily. "We've gone up against Trigon twice. We can't give up if it looks hopeless. We got through with Trigon; we can get through this..." Nightwing hesitated. His teammates glanced at him curiously. "I... I don't want to say this, but..." He swallowed before continuing, "We need to... review our procedures in case of serious injury that Raven is incapable of healing, or... death."_

_His final word rang in the hallway; the Titans stared morosely at their leader. Raven lowered her cowled head as Beast Boy glanced nervously at Cyborg; Troia's troubled eyes tried to meet Nightwing's, and Starfire straightened up, her alien eyes blazing as she denied her last words. "No - don't think like that! We'll make it through - there's no reason we can't!"_

_Troia smiled at her dear friend's optimism, and Nightwing looked slightly abashed. However the nearly god-like Titan sighed as her heart sank. "Kory..." Starfire shifted her gaze to Troia, defiant. "Honey, normally I'd be just as optimistic as you, but... I have a feeling that... this mission is different," She glanced at the sullen faces of her teammates. "You all feel it too, I know. Even you, Kory, though your spirit's exactly what we need."_

_Nightwing nodded curtly at the two women as he spoke, "I agree, optimism is what we need here, but we also have to be realistic. The reason I stopped you all was to inform - no,_ order _you that if for any reason should a Titan fall in battle, we will... leave him or her behind."_

_Immediately his team began protesting the command._

_"We don't leave others behind!" Beast Boy._

_"Ya off yer rocker!?" Cyborg._

_"We're weak when we're divided - united we're unbeatable!" Starfire._

_{Should I fail to aid in my teammate's recovery, I still am capable of safeguarding them within my soul-self. There is no need for risk and recklessness!} Raven._

_Only Troia was silent. Nightwing closed his eyes as he fought the tears. "Don't you think this doesn't hurt me? Damnit, this has to be the worst decision I've ever made!" His team stopped clamoring and stared at their leader. "If it's up to me, I'll personally carry the hurt and the dead! But the fact is that something is_ wrong _here, something's off! We can't afford a moment of distraction - and you didn't let me finish. The injured or... dead... Titan would hide and wait until the rest of the team is done with their mission." The Titans glared at Nightwing, who refused to sigh and show weakness. "Is that clear, Titans?"_

_"Understood," the Titans answered as one - even their voices rang with the same tone of bitterness._

_Nightwing nodded, fighting the sudden wave of weariness that hit him. "C'mon, we've rested enough. Let's get going." His team rose and lined up silently behind him, each member with his or her senses alert._

_Soon, Nightwing's eyes zeroed on in a new source of light at the end of the corridor; he raised a hand and Starfire silently extinguished her starbolt. Once again plunged into darkness, the Titans spread out, each playing to his or her strength, and trained their eyes on the door at the end of the hallway. Nightwing nodded toward Beast Boy, who transformed into a mouse and scurried under the door._

_A long moment passed as the Titans stood still, tense and ready should Beast Boy raise the alarm. However, the green Titan flung the door open and took form of a wolf as his team entered the cold steel room. Starfire immediately rose into the air; the ceiling was high enough for the Tamaranean to easily maneuver in flight. Troia followed her teammate after a nod from Nightwing - he had a sneaking suspicion that they soon would be grateful for the air support - and Beast Boy crept forward, his wolf nose twitching for any unwelcome scent. Cyborg glanced at the gadget he had transformed his hand into; no unusual energy spikes registered. Raven was silent, and Nightwing took this as an indication that she didn't sense danger._

_"I don't like this," Cyborg grunted out. "There's only two doors. One behind us, 'nother ahead o' us. Smells like a trap." Nightwing privately agreed. He slowly made his way to the center of the room, scanning the floor, the walls, and the ceiling for anything out of place. Something, _something,_ was wrong, his gut screamed at him as he broke out into a cold sweat. Nightwing glanced at Raven, who was as quiet as ever._

_Still, not reassured, Nightwing glanced up at Starfire. "Blast the door open, will you?" The alien princess nodded, and she aimed her golden hand forward; a green starbolt shattered the door. No alarm sounded. Nightwing frowned. Yes, something was wrong. The Titans were in the heart of the HIVE base, yet no alarm had -_ {danger} _Raven murmured in his head._

_"It's a silent alarm! Prepare yourselves!" Nightwing hollered not a moment too late; yellow-armored agents immediately swarmed into the room through the door Starfire had blasted and out of a secret third door they had failed to notice entirely._

_The weathered Titans flew into action: the wolf Beast Boy snarled and sank his teeth into the gun-slinging arm of a henchman; Starfire growled savagely as she took out four lackeys with two well-aimed starbolts; Troia deflected two bullets back to the men who fired them; Cyborg grabbed an unfortunate officer and hurled him into two of his companions; Nightwing immediately kicked one in his chin before launching into a roundhouse kick that disabled three more goons as Raven's inky black soul-self slipped free from her human form and enveloped one unfortunate agent._

_Eight men remained: Nightwing immediately ducked a clumsy punch before whirling around, delivering a kick that took another lackey out; Beast Boy leapt into the air as a kangaroo and landed on an agent as an immense elephant; Troia aimed her hand well, and her target was down like a potato sack; Cyborg smashed two officers' heads into each other; Starfire again demonstrated her mastery over her starbolts as she disabled two goons and Raven's soul-self detained the last henchman._

_Before Nightwing could issue a command, Starfire aimed her hands toward the secret door; starbolts brought debris crashing down, effectively blocking the pathway. Cyborg piled the henchmen against the door they had entered through into the room. Beast Boy again resumed the form of a wolf and crept near the last door, sniffing. Raven's soul-self dropped the two lackeys upon the pile Cyborg had created before returning to her motionless body. Troia landed next to Nightwing._

_"Good job, team. Raven, do you sense anybody around?" The silent woman shook her head, and Nightwing nodded as he turned his attention to the others. "All right. Let's move, and keep an eye out for trouble - I have a feeling this is only the beginning."_

_Much later, Nightwing would look back and muse bitterly over those words spoken in ignorance._

_The team cautiously entered the hallway leading away from the door, this one not quite as dark or moldy as the previous. Starfire smoothly sped through the air, fully in her natural element, as her green eyes sought to pick out anything unusual. Beast Boy kept his furry ears perked as his long snout twitched; this hallway was abnormally deprived of scent, and it was causing his wolfish mind unease. Cyborg's hand again transformed into an energy detector and he held it high as it whirled gently. Troia kept her hands away from her body, ready to leap into action if - no, when - needed. Nightwing scowled as his brows lowered heavily over his eyes. Something was wrong. Raven brought up the back, her long cloak trailing on the ground. The empath was as mute as before._

_"I don't see anything," Starfire called out as she flew over the Titans' heads; she had reached the end of the corridor and doubled back. "There's nothing here. It's all quiet." The Tamaranean shivered slightly; the silence made her uneasy. Nightwing nodded as he hurried to join Beast Boy and Cyborg at the front of the group; Troia rose into the air, and Raven halted, quivering._

_"What is it, Raven?" Starfire's concerned voice brought the other Titans' attention to their friend, who was trembling. Knowing her abilities well, they immediately slid into alert modes; Cyborg's hand changed from an energy detector to a sonic cannon as Beast Boy's wolfish features melted into a lion's. Starfire's hands lit up with her dangerous starbolts as Troia formed hers into fists; Nightwing drew his collapsible staff._

_Raven rose her head enough so they could see her wide eyes, wild with fear, under her cowl._ {danger} _Her voice appeared to fail the empath; she could only cry out in their heads. Her fear - the emotion itself was so unnatural, so demonic - shredded at the Titans' minds, and they shuddered in unison with their terrified empath._ {DEATH!}

_Barely a second after her ominous warning, a hidden laser gun lowered from the ceiling; the blast hit Starfire squarely in her back. The alien princess crashed into the ground as Troia deflected the second shot. Three more blasters joined the first one; they loosened a hail of dangerous fire upon the Titans. Beast Boy roared before transforming into a sparrow, dodging the rain of death._

_Cyborg shattered one of the laser guns with a well-aimed hit from his sonic cannon, and Troia's third deflected blast destroyed another. Nightwing swirled his staff, blocking himself and the feebly stirring Starfire from the fire. Raven had disappeared into the shelter of her soul-self. The shadowy bird enveloped the Tamaranean, protecting her from the fire, as Nightwing dove behind Cyborg._

_Beast Boy fluttered toward one of the two remaining blasters and landed atop one. He became a rat and gnawed through the wires. The laser gun hung limply, deactivated, and Beast Boy barely managed to take off as a fly before the last blaster shot at him. Cyborg swiftly shattered it with his sonic cannon. Troia landed next to Cyborg and Nightwing, and Beast Boy dropped to the ground in his human form._

_The black soul-self melted back into the corporeal form of Raven, who had her hands on Starfire's face. The golden woman was looking remarkably better; her eyes snapped open, and she abruptly scrambled to her feet, her hands alight with starbolts._ {unsafe}_ Raven seemed still unable to use her voice; her eyes flashed wildly as she stared in horror beyond the team. Her unusual emotions washed over the Titans._ {danger}

_Cyborg, Nightwing, Troia, and Beast Boy whirled around, but saw no threat. Starfire, however, didn't extinguish her starbolts; she had far too much experience, and faith, in Raven's empathic abilities to quickly dismiss her warning, especially if the woman was so obviously shaken. Raven finally regained her voice, only to immediately warn, {Death beckons!}_

_Before any Titan could react to Raven's soul-chilling cry, the hidden bombs in the corridor exploded; debris rained on the dazed Titans as they stumbled to their feet, half of them clutching at their ears. Laser blasts informed the team of the additional guns HIVE had set up in the hallway. Coughing and waving to clear the dust and smoke that lingered after the explosion, Troia managed to deflect several blasts. Cyborg aimed his sonic cannon blindly, judging on the direction the shots came from. Beast Boy shrank to a bat and began firing away with his echolocation sonar. Nightwing kept low to ground as he crawled forward. Starfire growled as she hurled starbolts right and left. Raven, again, hid in her soul-self and placed herself in front of her team, absorbing most of the deadly hail._

_However, the blasts increased in frequency and power; some had hit the walls and the metal melted from the sheer heat. "Get down behind Raven!" Nightwing hollered, and the Titans immediately complied; however, occasionally Cyborg or Starfire would peek out behind the shadowy bird to fire off a sonic blast or a starbolt. "Raven! How much can you stand? Those blasts are_ melting _the steel!"_

_The soul-self answered in a pained voice, {Not much longer, Nightwing. Should they increase in power, I fear my soul-self cannot withstand it.} Nightwing growled as Beast Boy, who was a small dog to allow space, cried out,_

_"Hey, the smoke's clearin' up!" Cyborg nodded as he returned to his position; he had briefly leapt out of behind Raven to fire off two sonic blasts._

_"Saladhead's right. It's cleared enuff fer me ter see the end of the hallway. There's some kind of control panel. I bet if we smash it, the guns'll stop."_

_{Cyborg is correct. I can see it too. However, it lies a fair distance ahead - a hundred yards, perhaps?} Raven was never good at gauging the distance, and Troia took the risk; she leapt out and squinted at the end of the corridor while deflecting three blasts._

_As she returned to her teammates, she answered, "It looks about a hundred and fifty. It's too far for us to make it… unless Beast Boy goes as a fly?"_

_The green Titan shook his head. "No way. It's too hot for an insect, I'll be deep-fried!" Nightwing closed his eyes as Cyborg and Troia groaned. Starfire had hopped out to fire back at the guns; she managed to hit one._

_As Starfire landed beside Troia, Raven's soul-self shuddered. "Raven!" Nightwing cried out, "Are you okay?"_

_The shadowy bird replied, {No. I cannot bear it much longer - if the control panel is to be destroyed, it must be now.} The Titans glanced at each other desperately. What to do? {Hurry!}_

_At Raven's plea, Starfire narrowed her eyes and before any of her teammates could protest, took off at her top speed. As the brave Tamaranean sped through the air, her mind tumbled back to her years of training on Okaara; the warrior blood surged through her veins as the alien princess dodged the laser fire with unerring accuracy. Nearer... nearer... almost there. There! Now within of her range! Starfire immediately hurled a starbolt - it flew straight and true to the tiny control panel._

_Starfire watched in grim satisfaction as the metal melted and the wires sparked; she had -_ {koriand'r!} _Raven's warning came far too late; a laser gun had managed to fire off one last shot a split second before Starfire's starbolt hit her target. The deadly plasma struck the alien squarely in her back. {NO!}_

_The scream echoed in the corridor as the soul-self abruptly disappeared into Raven - the other Titans had jumped at her cry. They all let out disbelieving exclaims upon seeing the smoking, bleeding form of Starfire - the blast, which was hot enough to melt steel, had shot cleanly through her; her skin was blistered and her muscles and organs charred - even one or two organs was completely gone. Before they could reach her, Raven had dimension-shifted to the wounded alien's side._

_Troia was next to reach Starfire, tears falling freely from her eyes. Raven's hands were pressing at Starfire's wounds; at Troia's arrival, the empath directed her to press at Starfire's injures as Raven moved her hands to the alien's face. Cyborg arrived a second afterward; he immediately joined Troia in the vain attempt to stem Starfire's bleeding. Beast Boy and Nightwing soon joined them, and despite the little good it did, grasped Starfire's hands._

_The Tamaranean's face had gone deathly pale; however, her eyelids still fluttered and her green blood flowed freely, not sluggishly, indicating that her heart was still beating. Raven trembled as her hands grasped at Starfire's face, her lips moving soundlessly as her healing powers flooded the alien's body, easing the pain... and nothing else. Troia's tears fell heavily as she directed her attention at her hands pressing down on the gaping hole in Starfire's torso. Cyborg stared mutely at Starfire's barely responsive eyes. Nightwing closed his eyes to halt the tears as he held on to the alien's right hand; Beast Boy clutched at the left hand, whispering, "Don't die, Kory. Please don't die..."_

_However, they all knew the horrible truth; the shot had destroyed Starfire's insides - there was no chance of survival. And as the brave princess treaded the fine line between life and death, her eyes opened as she mumbled, "Everything'll be fine. Stop them. It's going to be okay..." She trailed off as her head dropped back and her mouth gaped open. Even to her death, Starfire had remained true to her given name Koriand'r - forever optimistic._

_Troia dropped her head to Starfire's still-warm body, ignoring the alien blood smearing against her cheek, and sobbed. Nightwing's eyes remained tightly closed, however tears had began to seep out. Beast Boy gaped disbelievingly at his dead friend. Cyborg could only see Starfire's dull - so wrong, seeing those always-bright eyes dim - green eyes, and nothing else._

_Raven shook; her hands was still on Starfire's face. The empath lowered her head, and her eyes became hidden by the hood. Her frail body quavered as her breathing became ragged. {I... have failed,} she raged. {I... failed!}_

_The surviving Titans swiveled their heads toward Raven, shocked. The woman paid them no heed as she panted wildly. {Failed my friend! FAILED!} She snapped her head up; they recoiled at the sight - her eyes had gone crimson. {Stupid mortals. They are far too much trouble!}_

_The Titans trembled; they knew the voice from their deepest, darkest nightmares - Trigon. Before any of they could reach and snap Raven out of her demonic rage, the furious woman vanished in a burst of silent smoke, her final chilling words still ringing in the destroyed corridor; {Mortals have murdered this one. Mortals all die, and so die they shall!}_

_Knowing all too well what Raven had gone off to do, Troia stood up. "We have to stop her!" Her cry went unheeded by her male teammates. "We have to!" Cyborg raised his weary eyes to her, and Beast Boy sighed heavily._

_Nightwing refused to glance at anywhere except the dead Starfire as he moaned, "Damn, damn, damn me..._ damn!" _The others knew why he was cursing - they had to leave Starfire's body behind, a prospect none of them found pleasant; however, Nightwing had been correct. They had no way of lugging around a dead body._

_Troia closed her eyes for a moment and swallowed the bile. "It's what Kory would have wanted." Her words had the effect she was looking for; all three of her teammates now stared at her fully. "Kory would've wanted us to stop Raven from killing those people, from destroying herself!" Beast Boy nodded as he stood up, and so did Nightwing after a moment. Cyborg glanced at Troia._

_"Go on. I'll be there, I got somethin' ter do first." Troia stared at Cyborg, and nodded. She could trust him. Motioning at Beast Boy and Nightwing, Troia moved toward the door next to the control panel that Starfire had destroyed in her final act._

_The two Titans immediately followed; Beast Boy remembered himself and transformed into a leopard, training his senses for the panic-stricken cries of the men who Raven possibly was murdering at this very moment. Nightwing swallowed hard; recomposing himself, he strode to Troia's side - he was ready to lead again._

_Cyborg stared after his three friends for several seconds before returning his attention to Starfire; his robotic hands reached out gently to the alien's battered face. His thumbs slid her golden eyelids shut over her green eyes, and carefully closed her gaping mouth with his fingers. Then he stood up, casting one final glance at his dear friend and whispering, "Good-bye, Kory." With that, Cyborg turned his back to the dead princess and left to rejoin his living friends - now was not the time for the dead._

_The silent group of four entered the room; this one housed three doors other than the one they came through, one on each wall. Wailing drifted through the door to their right; they shared a nervous glance before heading toward it, Troia at the front. She placed her hand on the panel next to the door and paused for a second, taking in deep breaths. She really did not want to see what Raven was doing at this moment, judging from the terrible howls._

_Beast Boy trembled as he transformed back into his human form; he did not wish to face the horrible sounds with enchanted hearing. Cyborg gulped before his face hardened; his hand transformed into a sonic cannon, though he dearly hoped he would not need to use it. Nightwing placed his hand on Troia's shoulder, and the woman nodded as she pressed at the control panel._

_The door slid open to reveal the horrors beyond._

_The room was littered with dead bodies; the empath's back was to them. Her hand clutched at a man's face, and he writhed under her touch - blood had burst out from his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth. He howled, wailed, and wept without end. A few men and women were still alive; they stirred feebly, bleeding from every single opening in their bodies no matter how small - the bright red blood had dyed this room scarlet._ _{__Scream, human. Filthy, pathetic trash! The daughter of Trigon does not show pity to mortals!}_

_"Raven!" Troia's voice echoed in the room. The demon dropped her latest prey and turned to face her teammates, or possibly her enemies. Four crimson eyes glared at the Titans. Her chapped lips parted to reveal glistening fangs._

_{Foolish woman. Did you truly believe you could stop ME? I, the daughter of Trigon! I, who alone shall inherit his throne!} Troia did not waver under the demonic glare. Beast Boy gulped, and the daughter of Trigon's eyes - horrific sign of her true, eternally-wretched heritage - snapped to him. {I have no use for mortals. Prepare to die!}_

_Nightwing found his voice: "Wait, Raven! Don't do this!" Perhaps because he had spoken first after her declaration, the demon pointed her hand at him; he crumpled instantly, bleeding at an alarming rate. Beast Boy dropped to his side and worked fervently to halt the flow._

_Cyborg raised his sonic cannon. "Witch, don't do this. Don't make me do this." The daughter of hell redirected her attention to him. "Raven, don't. Don't let yer father win!"_

_Apparently, he had struck a nerve; the devil's spawn lashed out at him. {Let HIM win? Allow HIM to win? Foolish humans! You all are nothing but idiotic garbage! Foul dregs! It is not a matter of I allowing him to win, but of I taking on the mantle of my rightful heritage!} Her slim, red-skinned hand pointed at Cyborg and she grinned with monstrous delight as he groaned - his robotic parts had spilt at the seams; his arms and legs fell to the ground beside his torso._

_The man glared at the demon, and managed to spit, "Go to hell!"_

_The only child of Trigon laughed; a high, chilling laughter - just like her damned father, Trigon. {Human, I rule Hell. I do not fear it.}_

_"Raven! DON'T!" Troia cried out, and Death's daughter turned her malicious gaze upon the Titan. Under the horrific stare of the four crimson eyes, Troia found the right words; "Don't you dare to shame Kory's memory!"_

_The daughter of Trigon shuddered; her entire frame shook as her four eyes widened. {You dare! You dare... to utter her name!} The demon dropped to her knees; her fingers dug into the ground. {I... no! No!} She gasped, and Troia bravely knelt next to the quivering form. {I shall... not befoul the memory of Koriand'r!}_

_With this cry, Raven collapsed into Troia's arms. The empath trembled as sobs wracked her body; Troia tightened her hug. Nightwing's bleeding came to a slow but gradual halt, and Beast Boy stood up to attend to Cyborg, who was still in pieces._

_"Shh, Raven. Shh. Shh..." Troia murmured like a mother soothing her child, rocking back and forth as she cradled the weeping Raven. Nightwing gasped in pain; his face was white from the loss of blood, though he managed to stumble to his feet as he glanced around the room. So many bodies. So many, many... Nightwing shuddered. This bloodied room would haunt him forever._

_Beast Boy had successfully reconnected Cyborg's arms and legs; the robotic man groaned. "Man, that hurt like hell. Greenie, do me a favor. Don't lemme be stupid enuff ter piss off Witch, y' hear?" Beast Boy managed a weak smile as he tugged Cyborg upright. The duo turned their attention to Troia, who was still rocking Raven._

_Nightwing closed his eyes; the coppery scent of blood filled his nostrils - the sight of the scarlet blood still lingered behind his eyelids - Raven's wracking sobs rang out in the damned room which echoed of the terrified screams of the men and women brutally massacred. This truly would haunt him until his death. The man shivered as he opened his eyes, and glanced at Cyborg; Beast Boy had managed to get his friend standing up. Troia's sad, weary eyes met his when he turned his attention to her._

_Troia nodded at Nightwing in understanding, and lowered her face to Raven's ear; she mumbled far too low for the men to hear. The empath's sobs slowly came to a stop, and several long moments passed before Raven was able to let go of Troia. The silent woman stood up; her cowl seemed to cover her face more than usual. She refused to meet any of her teammates' gazes. {I...}_

_Cyborg grunted, interrupting Raven, "Don't sweat it. All in the past. Now, will ya please come an' fix me up?" He gave a half-grin at the empath. "Ya sure pack a punch!" Raven lowered her head, however she timidly came up to Cyborg and laid her hand on him, healing all his biological injuries so his robotic brain could get repairs done more quickly. Cyborg grasped Raven's thin shoulder with his huge, heavy hand. "Thanks, Witch." He said it with a smile._

_The empath moved away out of the other Titans' reach; it was obvious that she loathed herself for shaming Starfire's death. Beast Boy lowered his eyes as Cyborg let a silent sigh sag his shoulders. Nightwing glanced at Troia, who nodded. "Okay, Titans. Let's get moving," and not let Starfire's sacrifice go to waste - this, however, he mercifully did not voice._

_And so with great relief, the Titans exited the bloody room; they were back in the room with the four doors. "So... which door? Lemme see... eeny, meeny, miney, moe?" Beast Boy's voice filled the spacious room. Nightwing glared at the green Titan before shaking his head._

_"No, we'll go down the door that Raven senses is the right one." At this great act of faith, the leader turned to the silent empath, offering her this chance at redemption. Raven's entire face, including her eyes, was completely shadowed by her hood; she had dropped her chin so low. She didn't spare Nightwing a glance as she trudged toward the door on the opposite side. "Okay, we'll go that way. Be on guard, Titans!"_

_The five remaining Titans carefully entered yet another corridor, each on high alert. The empath had paused upon reaching the door and didn't move until the other Titans had passed her; Raven always preferred to be in the rear. As the team slowly made their way down this hallway, Nightwing noticed with slight unease that this tunnel was more brightly lit and cleaner than the last two; it was almost as if the hallways were getting cleaner the nearer they move toward their goal and, possibly, to their deaths._

_Beast Boy paused with his foot in the air for a split second; the green Titan frowned as he transformed into a tiger, his ears perking in the direction of the end of the hallway. The tiger let loose a low growl, and his teammates immediately tensed; what was coming? The large cat's tail twitched as he crouched low, carefully prowling toward the door. Cyborg raised his sonic cannon as Troia took to the air. Nightwing whispered to Raven, "Have your soul-self ready," and drew his staff._

_The door at the end of the corridor opened, inviting the Titans to their doom._

_Beast Boy roared as he took a gigantic leap that sailed him through the door and into the lackey leading the pack. As the two tumbled in a flurry of claws, teeth and blood, the other Titans hurled themselves at the other henchmen. Cyborg took great pleasure in smashing goons' heads together, whispering, "That's fer Goldie!"_

_Troia recklessly lunged at four men, however she proved more than capable of handling them. Nightwing launched into a whirlwind of kicks and punches that disabled no less than five officers in a mere minute. Raven's soul-self departed her body, and it radiated a new kind of hatred; it quickly enveloped a very unfortunate agent, and his faint wailing could be heard from the endless depths of that terrible darkness._

_As before, in only a few minutes, the Titans had dispatched the large gathering of hands sent to halt their progress. Beast Boy returned to his human form, tossing his head around as he beamed at Starfi - his grin fell off his face as the memory of his dear friend's death returned to his mind. His shoulders sagged as his gaze dropped to the ground. Cyborg noticed this, but said nothing. Her death was still a tremendous shock to them all; they would not heal for a long time, especially Raven, who had nearly destroyed her soul with such an atrocious act._

_The soul-self, still bearing its newly-founded aura of sheer loathing, dropped the very defeated henchman and returned to Raven's body; the empath withdrew even further into her cloak. She had sensed her friends' horror at her soul-self's change, and it broke her. Troia's sad eyes followed the soul-self to Raven, before turning her gaze back to Nightwing, who was peering at the highest ranking officer. "Hmm," he mustered as he turned the agent's communicator over._

_Troia and Cyborg stepped near Nightwing, staring at the device. "Just a second ago, I heard a voice saying to dispatch the Annihilators," Nightwing spoke as he stood up. "We'd better be careful." The two with him nodded, and he glanced over at Beast Boy, who gave his answer by taking the form of a lion. Raven was as still as stone, and Nightwing let her be._

_A secret door in the wall to their left slid open; the Titans immediately moved into their defensive stances as three hulking behemoths stomped out - the robotic Annihilators. Nightwing leapt into action; he withdrew two miniature grenades and tossed them at one of the Annihilators' legs, right at the joints. The robot stumbled, but it did not fall._

_Raven's soul-self hurled itself to the front of the Titans - just in time, for the Annihilators had let loose with their missiles, which passed harmlessly into the dark abyss of the shadowy bird. Cyborg frowned as he glanced at Beast Boy. The lion nodded, and the duo sprinted toward an Annihilator. Beast Boy transformed into a snorting bull and smashed into the knees; Cyborg leapt high up and crashed into the torso. Their great momentum combined together caused the Annihilator to topple, and topple it did. "Timberrr!" Beast Boy cried out as the robot landed with a tremendous crash._

_Clearly far too large and heavy to recover, the robot flailed its limbs helplessly as the two Titans hopped off it. Troia picked up Nightwing and flew toward one of the two remaining Annihilators. She tossed him high in the air, fully trusting his abilities to recover, and aimed at the Annihilator's torso just as Nightwing hurled four freezing discs toward its legs. Predictably, the robot met a similar fate as its companion._

_Fully confident, the Titans turned their attention to the last Annihilator; the robots were far too large to effectively combat the Titans, especially after Raven's soul-self had absorbed all of their missiles. The final robot would be easy to defeat - and their confidence would cost them dearly._

_Cyborg took four running steps before leaping high into the air; Troia picked up Nightwing, apparently to repeat their maneuver. Raven's soul-self withdrew into her body, and she stepped near, ready to heal the injuries of her teammates. Beast Boy transformed into a roaring lion, and pounced upon the Annihilator._

_They hadn't taken into account that the Annihilators, while slow, were learning robots; a few mistakes were all they needed to adjust accordingly. Indeed, this Annihilator reacted with a sweeping blade from its arm that caught the green lion's neck as he leapt toward it. The headless body bounced off the Annihilator and collapsed into a heap on the ground; the head skidded to a halt near Raven's feet._

_Cyborg screamed in unadulterated fury as he smashed into the Annihilator's torso; Troia was right beside him. Nightwing threw his freezing discs at the legs before he landed, and then swirled around to Beast Boy's body. Raven was already kneeling by his side with his great, shaggy head in her hands. She stared in utter horror and disbelief at the headless lion's body._

_Troia dropped next to Nightwing, gaping at the second death of her friends. Her tears had already begun to fall. Cyborg had buried his head in Beast Boy's mane; his body shook with silent, raging sobs. Raven stared at the head in her hands and, hesitating for a moment, carefully placed it upon the neck - a gross, macabre imitation of life. Nightwing had half a mind to knock away the huge head - he couldn't bear the sight of it any longer - but he held himself back; Raven did not know what to do with the head, and it was... acceptable in a way._

_The four remaining Titans remained rooted in that spot for several moments: Cyborg, with his face in Beast Boy's bloody and gory mane; Raven, with her hands softly stroking the lion's muzzle and cheeks; Troia, with her hands on Cyborg's shoulder and Nightwing, who had moved around to stare at Beast Boy's dull eyes and parted maw._

_Nightwing closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. After a moment, he opened his eyes and turned to the secret doorway, littered by the hulls of the Annihilators. Troia blinked her hot tear-filled eyes and stood up to follow her leader. Raven was silent; her hands moved from the lion's cheeks to close his huge mouth and press his cat eyes shut. The empath stood up, hiding herself in her cloak as she stared broodingly at Beast Boy. He did not deserve to die as an animal._

_Raven turned away and joined her two teammates; Cyborg had finally raised his head from his best friend's mane. Tears streaked down his cheek from his human eye, and his robotic eye blazed with a frightening glow. His breathing had become jagged; he whispered viciously, "They'll all _pay._ They'll pay fer Kory an' Gar!"_

_A thin, bony hand laid upon his shoulder; glancing back, Cyborg was met by the shadowed face of Raven. Immediately understanding, and recoiling from the silent rebuking, Cyborg nodded. Destroying his soul in an act of vengeance for his friends was not worthwhile. Raven would always bear the weight of her horrific act; to force her to also experience Cyborg's own destruction would be beyond cruel. The behemoth turned his attention to the dead Beast Boy and swallowed hard before standing up._

_Raven withdrew her hand and stepped back, away from the other Titans; her face became lost in the darkness of her cowl. Cyborg reached out with a hand to gently stroke the lion's mane before joining Nightwing and Troia. The man gulped before gasping out, "So... what now? We can't jest let their deaths be..."_

_He trailed off, though his teammates knew what he meant. Nightwing sighed wearily as he redirected his gaze to the hallway that lay before them. "Raven? Is this... the right way?" The empath was mute for a moment before she nodded. "All right, Titans. Let's go, and be wary."_

_With this, Nightwing strode past the Annihilators and into the corridor; Troia followed in the air, and Cyborg came up behind them after aiming several vicious kicks at the broken robots. Raven's long cloak trailed the ground; it was now stained with blood and oil, and left a small train of red, green, and brown smears._

_This hallway was even cleaner and brighter than the previous three; Nightwing shared a glance with Troia. It was disturbing, to say the least. Cyborg transformed his hand into an energy detector, and he grunted out, "There seems ter be nothin' here, an' I don't like it. What if there's guns here like...?"_

_Troia blinked and swallowed hard before replying, "I doubt each hallway is the same. There's something different in each one, and perhaps the next traps wait in those rooms." Nightwing nodded; the Titans had already reached the next door, and he rested his hand on the control panel._

_"Ready?"_

_At soft sounds of affirmation from his team, Nightwing pressed at the panel, and the door smoothly slid out of the way. Like so many doors before them, this one led to a large, empty room. Nightwing narrowed his eyes as Troia soared into the room, ready to toss up her force field. Cyborg shifted his hand into a sonic cannon and held it high; Raven released her soul-self as a precautionary, though she sensed no soul other than the Titans._

_Nightwing tiptoed to the center of the room - this one seemed... less dangerous than the previous rooms. A glance at the quiet Raven affirmed this. The leader's brows lowered as he scowled. Troia piped up from above of them, "It's almost... like a fork in the road."_

_A glance around of the room confirmed her statement; behind them was the door they had entered through and ahead on the same wall were two doors. Nightwing glanced up at the soaring Troia and commented, "Good observation. Raven, which door is the way?"_

_This time the empath had no answer - she only shook her head very slightly. Nightwing sighed in mild disappointment before turning to Cyborg. "Could you use your energy detector? We're trying to find the mainframe, remember." The man nodded as his hand changed from the sonic cannon into the energy detector._

_After a moment of silence, the robotic man nodded toward the left door. "I'm gettin' a higher energy spike from it, but it's a different pitch than the typical readin' I've been gettin' so far here. I think we're gettin' close ter the mainframe." Nightwing nodded and stepped toward it. Troia landed beside him, and Raven brought up the back as always._

_However, this time, the door opened before any Titan could touch the control panel. At this, the team paused and glanced, one by one, at Nightwing. He frowned, but jerked his head forward; his team stepped through the doorway into another room._

_Cyborg glanced at the ceiling and the walls as his hand transformed into a sonic cannon - this room had only one door beside the one they had entered through. Troia lifted off the ground, but she stayed near her teammates. Nightwing drew his staff, and Raven's hooded head turned to her right to stare at the wall in that direction._

_The tension hung heavily in the air as the Titans inched their way across the room to the other door; they had lost two members, and they dared not risk a third loss. The empath paused, her eyes widening, and before any of her teammates could turn around at her gasp, she ran toward Nightwing, shoving him into Cyborg. As the duo fell to a heap at the very center of the floor, Troia's panicked cry of "Great Rhea!" rang above them with a very good reason - long, steel spikes had abruptly shot out the walls and the ceiling; Troia narrowly avoided being impaled herself. Meanwhile, a terrible shudder passed through Raven's body like a tidal wave._

_Raven opened her mouth soundlessly; she couldn't breathe in the air necessary to speak. Not daring to glance down at herself, she mustered up her energy._ {help} _This tiny, pathetic whisper was barely heard by the Titans; however, they did register it in their minds. They whirled around, and recoiled at the sight before them._

_Black blood was spilling like a waterfall down Raven's front; her hands, slippery with her own life-force, weakly grasped at the steel projectile that protruded from her chest - Raven had taken Nightwing's place when she shoved him into Cyborg. The other spikes, absent of a victim, withdrew into the walls and ceiling, however the lance that had caught Raven remained. The empath gasped; foam had begun to form around the corners of her mouth. She quivered, and Troia rushed up to her, followed closely by Cyborg. Nightwing noted with horror that even though Raven's legs gave way, she would not fall for the long, narrow spear held up her body._

_Troia moaned upon seeing the damage; it had completely pierced Raven's torso, barely missing her heart. Despite this horrific injury, Raven managed to gasp out weak, lowly whimpers as her wide, raving eyes met Troia's. Cyborg grasped Raven's trembling hands in his own; he couldn't stand the sight of them clawing at the weapon jutting out of her chest._

_Nightwing swallowed, his heart heavy with terror. None of them had noticed the danger before it was too late - this place was a deathtrap, picking off the Titans one by one. He closed his eyes and tried to block out Raven's dying sounds; however, this did not halt her voice from whispering in his mind - raw, alien emotions that painted strange pictures which made no sense, yet he understood it._ {sorry}

_"No, Raven. Don't apologize! Raven..." Troia whispered, tears cascading down her cheeks. She lifted her quivering hand to brush away the foam from the empath's mouth. Cyborg continued to gently hold Raven's hands in his own. The dying demon paid them no heed as she lolled her head around, trying to gain her bearings as it slipped away from her._ {so sorry}

_She continued to mumble in their heads - her inhuman emotions tumbled unrestricted into their minds - as her life faded away from her._ {failed all my friends. so sorry} _Cyborg deposited one of her hands into his to grasp both of her hands in it as he lifted his free hand to gently cup Raven's thin cheek. Her wild eyes met his, and he was immediately filled with her horror, pain, and affection for him._ {flee. danger. death}

_The empath gasped with a tremendous effort; she managed to toss her head from her right shoulder to her left and gazed blindly at Nightwing, yet he felt her wild, overwhelming urge._ {run. live}_ Her eyes began to close, and her mouth fell shut; thin streams of black blood began to leak out of the corners of her eyes and gushed from between her lips._ {so sorry. koriand'r. garfield}

_Troia shook her head miserably; a few tears flicked off and landed on the floor. Nightwing could hear the quiet drips. Cyborg still didn't let go of Raven's hands as he watched his friend die. With a deep, shuddering breath, the empath managed to leave one final message:_ {i am so sorry...}

_The abrupt halt to the alien thoughts and emotions in their minds left the Titans feeling alone, far too alone; it had been many years since Raven was not in their hearts and minds. Troia's sobs wracked her frame as she dropped to the ground, clawing at the cold floor. Cyborg closed his eyes and bowed his head as hot tears fell from his human eye. Nightwing swallowed and turned his gaze away from the face forever hidden in the endless shadow of that cowl._

_The leader shivered as he glanced around at his surroundings. How many more hidden traps lurked in this place? How many more Titans had to die before they could put an end to the HIVE? His train of dark thoughts was shattered by Troia, who had stopped weeping. The Titan had stood up, and stared at Nightwing with her haunted eyes._

_"Dick," It was an accusation. "Is it worth it? Is it worth Kory, Gar, and Raven dying?" Words failed the furious woman; her body trembled violently, and Nightwing had a sneaking suspicion that Troia was near to wrapping her hands around his throat. Cyborg, however, grasped Troia's shoulder with his bloody hand._

_"It is," His deep, booming voice echoed in the room. "Y'know, like they did, that it's always worth it fer a few o' us ter die so the whole lot of 'em - the whole world - can live." Troia's head dropped at Cyborg's words. Nightwing swallowed._

_"You're... right, Cyborg," Nightwing nodded. "Let's keep moving," and get away from the dead - this he did not say. He didn't wait for a response from his two living teammates as he turned to the door and headed toward it. Troia didn't glance at Raven's body, though she stole a glimpse of the pool of the unnatural blood and shuddered. As she followed her leader, Cyborg allowed himself a final look at his dear friend._

_"Rest in peace, Raven," Cyborg spared the dead empath a small, sad smile before he rejoined the two other Titans. Nightwing had opened the door, politely allowing Troia to pass first before Cyborg and then entered the corridor himself. "Hey, lookie. This hallway's short."_

_Nightwing and Troia nodded in agreement with Cyborg's words - this tunnel was only half the length of the others. Was this important, they wondered. A few steps later, the trio stood before the door, understandably hesitant about proceeding further. Nightwing glanced out of the corner of his eye at the quiet Troia; her face was still angry. Cyborg fought back a sigh as he pressed his hand to the control panel._

_The door opened to reveal another hallway; the Titans shared a confused glance. So far, every door at the end of the corridors had led to a room, not to another passageway. To top off, this hallway was another fork - which way should they go? They were now wandering blindly without their empath's direction. Slowly and carefully they made their way to the fork and Cyborg raised his hand, now an energy detector, as Troia and Nightwing watched._

_After a long moment, Cyborg lowered his hand and reported, "The spike of that different energy's stronger than before. It's thataway," He nodded at the right hallway. Nightwing took the lead, and Troia followed him; Cyborg wasn't far behind. The length of this tunnel was unusually long - about twice the length of the typical ones, and the floor, walls, and ceiling gleamed brightly, practically a light source of their own._

_"Huh, it's really clean an' shiny here," Cyborg mustered, peering at the wall at his left. "Creepy." Troia nodded in agreement, and Nightwing's nearly permanent frown deepened. The three Titans made their way down the hallway, though not quite as slowly as the previous ones; it was almost as if they had given up on caution, for it had done them no good - three dead teammates lay behind them as a dark testament to that._

_The trio reached the door, and they paused. Cyborg raised his energy detector and mused out aloud, "Boss? The readin's off the charts. We're only one or two, mebbe three rooms away from it." At his words, Troia glanced at Nightwing, her eyes full of hidden disapproval - she could scarcely believe this mission worthwhile the deaths of three of her dear friends._

_The weary leader nodded as he raised his hand to the control panel. "Be on guard, Titans," He warned, and pressed at the pad. The door opened, and long, writhing steel tentacles immediately shot out and wrapped themselves around the shocked Titans._

_Before any of them could break free, the mechanical vines pulled the Titans into the large room; the Titans gasped in horror and wonderment. The ceiling was covered with the vaguely plant-like steel tentacles that writhed and itched for blood._

_"Damn! Jest how many traps are there in this place!?" Cyborg cried as he struggled against his prison. "Stupid paranoid bozos! I'm gonna smash their heads in!"_

_Nightwing privately agreed, and he focused his attention on himself, bringing to his mind all his tricks; he wasn't known as an escapee artist for nothing, after all. Troia snarled as she strained to free her arms, but it was in vain. The steel vines continued to tighten their clutch; the Titans were in danger of suffocating._

_"Donna!" Nightwing hollered - he had forgotten to use her codename. "Use your force field!" Troia immediately complied; her shining force field shoved out with a blinding speed. The vines were crushed, and Troia fell to the ground below._

_During that, Cyborg had glanced up at the ceiling and for a moment, the machine tentacles separated and he saw past it, into the heart of the machine. In that short moment, he knew what would happen. "DON'T!" Troia, who had crouched for the initial leap into flight, paused. "Stay there! Don't move - get down!"_

_"What!" Her incredulous voice rang out; Cyborg grunted as he fought to free his right hand._

_"Lady, don't argue! Get down an' be ready ta catch Bat-Boy!" With this, his freed hand transformed into a sonic cannon and Cyborg pointed it at the largest tentacle wrapped around Nightwing. The blast shattered the steel, and Nightwing fell, free at last._

_Troia caught him, and at Cyborg's command, "Get down! Don't stand up - lissen ta me, dammit!_ DOWN!" _Troia dropped to the ground, Nightwing with her. Cyborg narrowed his human eye as he growled, "Sorry, Boss, y' won't like it, but it's the only way ter stop this machine!"_

_Before Nightwing could question his plan, Cyborg aimed his blaster and fired. The brilliant blue-white beam sliced neatly through the numerous vines and into the ceiling, into the heart of the steel tentacles._

_The reaction was instantaneous._

_The plant-like tentacles flailed in a fit, and Cyborg was tossed into the walls a few times; his head lolled around helplessly as the machine held him prison. His blast had shattered the center; dangerous electricity began cracking, and before either of Troia or Nightwing could cry out, the machine exploded in an electric inferno._

_Cyborg screamed in pain; the electric current ran through him, wrecking havoc in his body - yet despite it all, his human mind marveled at the tenacity of his robotic brain as it began to register the voltage in his body. He already knew that he would not make it out alive; before he had shot at the machine's center, his robotic eye had gauged the electricity. It was well over a thousand amps._

_It only takes thirty to forty milliamps to stop a human heart._

_Troia and Nightwing stared in horror as Cyborg's body buckled as it was being fried by the electricity; the vines' flailing grew wildly - and as abruptly as it began, it halted. Shocking silence rang out in the room, occasionally broken by a cracking in the air that indicated the electricity still running amok. Cyborg's smoking body hung limply in the destroyed tentacles._

_"No!" Troia's voice broke the stillness - the Titan began to rise into air, possibly to free Cyborg's body from his prison, but Nightwing grabbed onto her foot._

_"Don't!" Before Troia could kick loose, he managed to throw in a few words. "Vic did this - he did this so we could go on!" The enraged woman paused, and Nightwing tugged at her foot. She complied, and landed next him. Her tears threatened to blind her; her mouth quivered, however she was unable to speak for her throat had contracted tightly._

_Nightwing blinked away his own tears as he turned toward the door; his hand held onto Troia's. "C'mon..." His voice trailed off - he had no more to say. The silent, mourning duo approached the door which opened before they reached it. However, they had long since abandoned care and didn't pause as they entered the hallway._

_Nightwing glanced at Troia. "I... I think we're there," He moved his gaze to the door that stood before them - unlike the previous doors, this one was heavily reinforced by steel. Nightwing ran his hand over the control pad, but nothing happened. "We're definitely here - it's coded. Give me a second; I'll get the password figured out -"_

_Troia smashed the control panel before Nightwing's astounded gaze; she had no more patience. She shot Nightwing a glare. "Is it really worth it, Dick? Dick - they're all_ dead!"

_Her anguished cry rang out in the corridor; Nightwing closed his eyes for a moment before walking through the now-opened door into the surprisingly dark room. Troia, her angry question still hanging in the air, followed after a moment's hesitation. "Donna, please give us a light."_

_At his command, Troia raised a hand and the gentle serene glow of moonlight radiated from it. As soon as the room came into sight, the two Titans gasped; they had at long last reached the mainframe - the heart of the sprawling network of the HIVE. Troia was silent as Nightwing reached out to the control board; he typed in a few keys, and before their eyes, the immense screen lit up._

_A few more keywords were needed before the two Titans' eyes rested upon secret files seen by nobody other than the HIVE's Mistress and the Seven. Nightwing dropped his mouth in horror as he scanned disbelievingly at the glowing screen. Troia's soft, quivering voice - empty of all anger - snapped him out of his trance._

_"Dick..." She glanced morosely at Nightwing. "You were right. It's worth it." She moved in close as he began typing away. "They have to be stopped... they_ must _be stopped!"_

_Nightwing nodded as he tapped in a final keyword. "They will be. I've just instructed the computer to download all the files onto a small disk." Almost as if on cue, the machine beeped once before pushing out a miniature disk from the side of the screen. Nightwing took it and carefully placed it into one of the many pouches on his belt._

_Troia lifted her hand to grasp Nightwing's shoulder and opened her mouth, but was cut off by a distant voice from the corridor behind them: "There! I saw 'em goin' tha' way! C'mere, if we move quickly, we can catch 'em!"_

_Nightwing's eyes widened; however, Troia was already in action. She pushed him toward the vent and shoved him inside it before covering the opening back up. "Donna!" Before he could protest, she shushed him._

_"No - the information has to get out! They must be stopped!" Nightwing shook his head as well as he could, cramped in the tiny space. Troia glanced at him. "I know what I'm doing. Dick, stay there and don't move until it's clear." With this, she whirled around and flew across to the room to the closed door to the right of the tunnel._

_Immediately, henchmen swarmed out of the hallway, their guns hoisted and ready. Troia simply crouched into a pose in front of the door; she rose her hands and glared daringly at the agents who encircled her. Nightwing held his breath in his hiding spot; there were so many goons - twenty, thirty, forty and counting!_

_For a moment, everything was still and silent - the moment before bloodshed. Then one lackey fired at Troia, who effortlessly deflected it. Immediately, all the goons began firing - however, Troia had tossed up her force field. She threw a punch that downed an officer; at this, the men and women dropped their useless guns and jumped at her. Nightwing stared in wonder as Troia fought with all she had._

_She grabbed a henchman, threw him across the room before flipping an agent by his wrist into three of his companions, and then in a fluid movement, reached behind herself, latching on a goon and hurled him over her head into two of the officers - all in less than a moment. Already nine lackeys were down; however, the rest of the HIVE agents didn't pause. They had the advantage in their immense numbers, and they knew it. For all her skill and power, even Troia couldn't fight off fifty men in a cramped space._

_However, Troia was an Amazon and trained by the Titans of myth - she was not going down without a fight, and fight she did. She downed two goons with a punch from each hand and kicked another in his chin. One officer slipped behind her and wrapped his gun around her neck - she grabbed onto it and used it as leverage; she somersaulted over the stunned henchman and delivered vicious kicks to three agents in the process._

_As she landed, she threw out a punch that downed a goon, and swirled around, knocking out four more officers. However, as she took out one, three more lackeys took their place - Troia was becoming overwhelmed, if only for a moment - she threw out her force field, which shoved the agents away from her. Roughly thirty remained; Troia grabbed a protesting officer by his arm and effortlessly hurled him into two of his companions._

_Nightwing bit down a shout of warning as a henchman snuck behind Troia; however she delivered a hit with her elbow, and he went down like a sack of potatoes. Troia then jabbed forward with the same hand and hit another goon in the neck. By this time, several agents had managed to latch on her arms; as Troia struggled to free herself, she kicked two more men into unconsciousness._

_Troia's edge in the battle did not last long. While she was tied by the goons - who were quickly losing their grasp on the powerful Titan - one clever lackey withdrew a knife and slashed Troia's throat with it. She gasped as her blood splattered the floor, the walls, and the henchmen around her - yet she did not go down._

_Troia clutched at her throat with one hand as she fought with the other; she took out four more agents with well-placed punches. Her foot caught three more, however the other officers had became energized by the freshly spilled blood; they swarmed the Titan, overwhelming her._

_Nightwing watched through tear-filled eyes as Troia was shoved down to the ground - she had became pale from the loss of blood; yet despite it all, she still fought. Her punches knocked out two more goons before Troia finally succumbed to weakness; the Titan laid face-down on the floor, gasping and choking as blood flowed from her mutilated throat._

_The leading officer sneered at her as he delivered a vicious kick to her ribs. "Stupid broad. C'mon, she wuz guardin' this door - the other Titan must be in it! Go!" At his words, a henchman slid his hand over the control panel, and the door opened to reveal a hallway. The remaining agents sprinted down into it - Troia had successfully fooled them into the wrong direction._

_A moment passed, and Nightwing fought to free himself from the cramped vent. When he was out, a weak, wet gasp caught his attention - somehow, against all odds, Troia was still alive. Nightwing dropped to her side after shoving away a body; the Titan was surrounded by thirty-something bodies. "Donna..." He moaned as his trembling hands gently rested themselves on Troia's back._

_She had no energy to raise her face to gaze at Nightwing; she coughed with a tremendous effort, and wheezed out, "Go... ru-un..." Nightwing shook his head as hot tears ran down his face. Troia grabbed Nightwing's wrist; her hand was covered with her blood. "Go... don't... let th-th-eir..." She halted, coughing violently; it was clear that she was still alive only through sheer willpower. "De-aths... be-e... i-in v... va-i-in..."_

_Nightwing choked back a sob; Troia's eyes had gone dark. His trembling hands reached toward her face and closed her eyes before gently pushing her gaping jaw shut. "Donna... _Donna!_" He shut his eyes for a moment before clambering to his feet. He would not allow her sacrifice, nor the other Titans', be for nothing._

_With this, he ran down the hallway they had came through - the opposite direction from the HIVE agents. Troia had bought him precious time, some of which he already had wasted. He would not fail - he must_ not _fail!_

_Nightwing ran down the hallway, into the room, and shuddered upon seeing Cyborg's body in the steel tentacles. He faltered for a split second, then rushed toward the other door; he sprinted down the hallway and upon reaching the fork, turned left. The door was still open, and as he ran down another corridor, he heard faint shouts. The henchmen had, at last, figured that they had been deceived by Troia._

_Nightwing entered the room, and his mind reeled as he remembered the trap; he hurled himself toward Raven's body and clutched at her just as the spikes shot out. After several seconds, the steel lances withdrew back into the walls, lacking a victim, and Nightwing shivered as he let go of the clammy body. "Sorry," He whispered at the dead empath as he ran toward the other door._

_As he tore through the another room, he heard the shouts increase in volume; the lackeys were slowly gaining upon him. Nightwing didn't pause as he threw himself into the next corridor. As he was clambering over the hulls of the Annihilators, the panicked screams behind Nightwing informed him that some goons had fallen victim to the spikes._

_Nightwing leapt over Beast Boy's headless body - still a lion - and hurled through the door into another tunnel. Faster than he had ever run before, he flew down the hallway and entered the four-doored room; with a terrible shudder as he glimpsed the bloody room - forever a memoir of Raven's atrocious genocide - across the room. He tore his eyes away from it and sprinted toward the door to his right._

_As he hopped over Starfire's long-cold body, he heard the footsteps behind him; the officers had nearly caught up. However, as Nightwing entered the first room, he allowed himself a quick, grim smirk. The goons that Cyborg had piled up against the door were still there. Nightwing climbed over it, and ran down the moldy tunnel. It would take the henchmen a while to shift the bodies._

_Splashes echoed in the dark, puddle-laden tunnel as Nightwing sprinted down it. Coming upon a fork, he wheeled right and jumped down the ten-foot drop; he grunted as he landed, lost balance, and threw his body into a clumsy somersault. He didn't allow his pained body a moment's of rest as he shot to his feet; he was just a few yards away from the Titans' airship._

_The aircraft's door opened smoothly as Nightwing approached it; as soon as he entered the cabin, he hollered, "Establish the link to Tower!" The computer, linked to by the tower, complied and Nightwing ran toward the pilot's seat. Trembling, he withdrew the small disk from his belt and inserted it into the computer. "Tower, upload this file - quickly! Meanwhile, achieve the thrusters and prepare for take-off!"_

_NOT POSSIBLE._

_Nightwing blinked dumbly at the monitor. "...What? Wh-what do you mean, Tower?"_

_The cool, feminine voice answered, THE HIVE LAUNCHED AN EMP SHOCK WAVE AT THE SHIP MOMENTS AGO. IT IS CURRENTLY POWERLESS, AND TO ADD TO THE MATTER AT HAND, THE SENSORS, BEFORE DISABLED, PICKED UP THE ENEMY CRAFTS AND WEAPONS WAITING OUTSIDE THE TUNNEL. THERE IS NO ESCAPE._

_Nightwing stumbled backward, falling into the pilot's seat. His mouth closed and opened repeatedly, soundless. His eyes moved over the dashboard; Tower had been correct. The ship was powerless, except for Tower's own power maintaining the connection. He closed his eyes._

_I... AM SORRY._

_He glanced up at the monitor. "Don't be. I have a job for you," He stood up, laying a hand on the controls. "Tower, once the data have been uploaded, I want you to self-destruct this aircraft. Understood?"_

_UNDERSTOOD. Nightwing nodded and turned around to the door - however, the oddly human-like mechanical voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks. BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHERE ARE THE OTHER TITANS? The voice paused for a moment. WHAT HAPPENED, DICK?_

_His shoulders slumped as he answered, "The Titans are... dead, and I won't make it out, either. You have your orders, Tower, and I expect you to stick to it. Don't fail me, or the Titans."_

_With this command, Nightwing ran outside, and skidded to a halt. The purple-cloaked agent stood before the Titan, a gun in his hand. Four goons were quick to surround Nightwing. However, the aircraft's door had slid close before the henchmen could board it._

_Nightwing glowered at the purple-robed man as the agents latched onto him. "Return the information you stole from us." The agent spoke softly, glaring at Nightwing under the hood of his robe. The Titan grinned but did not answer. The man's hand trembled angrily; however, he cleared his throat and continued coolly, "No matter - we shall simply disassemble the aircraft and retrieve the stolen files." He tilted his head as he stared at Nightwing. "The HIVE_ never _loses."_

_However, a loud beep sounded from the airship behind the group; Nightwing's face lit up as the HIVE officers glanced in shock behind them._

_UPLOADING OF THE FILES COMPLETED. SELF-DESTRUCTION IN FIFTEEN SECONDS._

_The purple-cloaked man's eyes widened. "What have you done?!" He screamed toward Nightwing; the four goons let go of the Titan and began to rush away. Their superior, however, hollered toward them. "Don't run away, cowards! Go - stop the ship!_ Stop _it!"_

_SELF-DESTRUCTION IN TEN SECONDS._

_Nightwing, unfortunately for them, had other plans - he punched a lackey in the chin, knocking him out, before launching into a roundhouse kick that took care of the three other henchmen._

_SELF-DESTRUCTION IN SEVEN SECONDS._

_He tore free a blaster from one of the unconscious agents, and glared at the purple-cloaked man who began stumbling backward._

_SELF-DESTRUCTION IN SIX SECONDS._

_"No..." The last Titan whispered._

_SELF-DESTRUCTION IN FIVE SECONDS._

_Nightwing raised the gun to the side of his head._

_SELF-DESTRUCTION IN FOUR SECONDS._

_"...You lose."_

_SELF-DESTRUCTION IN THREE SECONDS..._

_With those words, Nightwing pulled the trigger._

* * *

Author's Note: By far the longest chapter in this story, however I hope it more than makes it up for the length!

I would like to clarify several things - firstly, Raven's head-murmuring thing. That is not telepathy. Raven is a very powerful empath, and by that point, the team have had been together for about ten years. I believe that Raven had developed permanent links with her friends - they feel her emotions all the time, and she's able to "speak" (projecting emotions) in their minds.

You know, Beast Boy is the lucky one. He had an instantaneous and painless death.

Now you know how the HIVE got ahold of the Titans' DNA! _They_ killed the Titans!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers!


	12. To Obey or to Die

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, however the OCs are mine.

* * *

**To Obey or to Die**

Rich shuddered as he fought to lift his leaden eyelids. Blurry sight greeted him; he blinked several times, and his vision slowly came into focus. As he did so, Rich became aware of the wetness on his face - he had been crying. Gently lifting a hand to his cheek, he was astounded to discover that the tears were warm.

Moaning slightly, he shifted his eyes to his left and zeroed in on Caity. The girl was slumped in her tube, unconcious. Her skin had taken a frighteningly pallid tone, her mouth lagged open, and her eyes were slightly parted; Rich shivered upon stealing a glimpse of the blackness underneath.

Tearing his gaze away from his sister, Rich quickly checked Logan over - the small boy was paler than usual, though he had begun to stir. Just as Logan's pointed ears twitched and brown eyes blinked open, Rich moved his eyes to right to where Danielle and Will were.

Will, like Logan, was slowly coming about to; the large boy struggled upright, and rubbed at his head with his robotic hand. Will's mouth opened slightly, clearly groaning, though Rich heard nothing. The brothers' eyes met, and Rich shifted his focus to Danielle.

Just like her sister, Danielle looked near death. Her usual gold sheen had been muted; her skin looked sickly yellow, and her eyes were blank and dim. Rich trembled in fear and swallowed, though he kept his stare on Danielle, almost as if hoping that she would sense his fear and respond. The girl's hands twitched and her face became less contorted, and Rich's shoulders sagged thankfully.

His brothers and sisters would be all right. Nearly faint with sheer relief, Rich turned his attention to the HIVE logo on the far wall that he had previously observed, and abruptly scrambled to the back of the tube.

The shadowed figure stood there, hidden in his purple robe - though his malicious smirk could be seen clearly under the dark hood.

* * *

Mama sighed; ever since Lucy revealed herself, she and Mark had been arguing. Speaking of those two, had they stopped? Slightly hopefully - but not by much, for she was far too experienced with their fights to ask for more - Mama turned her attention, as well as she could while chained to the wall, to her two former foster children; Lucy was standing several feet away from Mark, who was dangling from the wall in his chains.

"Ah didn't hit y' that hard!" Lucy protested.

"Please - you knocked me out with a _pipe wrench!_" Mark hollered, his face pink; his eyes had narrowed so much they were mere slits.

"C'mon, Markie - " She began, but he cut her off.

"Oh, _now_ it's Markie? I'm not surprised you didn't hear me clearly the first time - you _knocked_ me _out_ with a _pipe wrench!_" It was apparent that Mark had a sore spot with this.

"O'course Ah didn't hear y' the first time! The wrench has a name, y'know!" It seemed that Lucy had become fed up with her brother.

"Ah, how _could_ I forget? You used to get in quite a bit of trouble back in school with Sheila, which you used to _knock_ me out!" Mark always had been known for his grudges.

"It ain't Sheila, smartass!" The redhead had began cussing - never a good sign.

"Oh yes, that's right, the principal confiscated your darling Sheila, didn't he? But still, you hit me with a _pipe wrench!_" Now Mark was just fighting dirty; Lucy bristled at the words.

"Firstly, don't mention that man ter me! He was rough with poor Sheila! Secondly, her - " here, Lucy waved the pipe wrench in her hand, "Name's Sheila, Jr! Thirdly - " She was again cut off by Mark.

"You don't add Junior to a _girl's_ name, dummy – much less the name of an inanimate object which _you_ used to knock _me_ out!" Mark clearly had a low opinion of Lucy's intelligence.

"Oh, _grow up,_ crybaby! Y' used t' cry all the time, Markie, or have y' forgot? Sheila an' Ah used ter beat up those bullies at school fer ya, Mark!" Obviously Lucy didn't feel appreciated for her good deeds from all those years ago.

"Fine, _Sheila_ was nice, but _you_ used that _pipe wrench_ to knock me out!" Yet another blow at Lucy's persona by his suggestion that a pipe wrench had a more appealling personality when compared to her.

"Willya stop with that crap! Yeah, Ah hit y' with Sheila, Jr - git over it!" Lucy's temper had finally broke loose.

"No! _You_ knocked out _your own brother_ with a _pipe wrench!_" Clearly, Mark would not let go of the fact that his sister would knock him out. Much less with a pipe wrench. Lucy's face became red, and she swelled like a bullfrog.

"Oh, y' sonofa - "

Mama tuned out the bickering duo as she sighed wearily and hung her head low. Honestly, those two would never grow up.

* * *

The tiny island rested in midst of raging sea, peacefully ignorning the tumbling waves that crashed against its sandy shore, and little did the seafarers in the boats that skipped merrily past the island know what lay beneath the rambling waves.

Deep in the ocean, far below the island itself, sprawled an enormous base that reached nearly four miles in diameter. There were only two entrances: one an underwater dock that was constantly monitored, and another a long-forgotten, broken-down hidden tunnel that began with the island.

At least, it was forgotten by those who had been born long after this base originally was built well over three hundred years ago; however, only one of those people born before the establishment of the underwater building still lives today.

Deathstroke.

The man narrowed his eye as he steered his miniature aircraft toward a spot between two willows - the trees' draping branches would effectively cover the ship. Deathstroke noted with pleasure the aircraft's smooth landing - truly, the techincal improvements of this era were marvelous - and soon found himself on the ground. He crouched low - it was midday, there were people outside enjoying the air and the sun - and crept through the tall, wild yellow grass.

Soon the mercant found his objective; a rusted steel trapdoor that hid amidst the roots of an ancient oak tree. Deathstroke pulled at the ring and was unsurprised by the resistance that met him - the trapdoor, long abandoned for nearly three hundred years, have fused shut with dirt and rust. Not a problem; he had brought tools just for this.

Reaching into the belt, Deathstroke withdrew a small object that vaguely resembled a torch, and carefully melted away the rust. The trapdoor was free at last, and he pulled gingerly at the ring; with a screeching creak, the door, after much protest, gave way.

Peering into the darkness as the stale air drifted upwards, Deathstroke smirked. The man glanced over the grass toward the sea surrounding the island; only two small boats dotted the horizon. With this, he hopped down in the darkness.

It was a short drop - the rungs had long since corroded away - and with an easy landing, Deathstroke stood up and activated his flashlight. The beam of light revealed the dark, old room to him; he strode over toward the control board, uninterestedly glancing over the heavy dust that covered the monitors, buttons, and levers. Once, many years ago, this room served as a control center of sorts; the agents would send in their coded radiowaves, and the operators would reveal the true engineering marvel of this island.

It was not even a real island.

It was actually a hinged door that covered the pathway for aircrafts. The entire island would lift - rocks, trees, and even any passerbys that happened to be on the island at the moment, though it was unlikely - high enough to admit even a military transport helicopter. Deathstroke allowed himself a smirk; one of the reasons this amazing tunnel became forgotten was that the top officers decided it far too easy for enemies to take advantage of it.

The last people to use this path were the Teen Titans three hundred years ago; they had stolen a coded radiowave and submitted it to this control room. The operators, not suspecting any foul play, quite willingly allowed the Titans in. After that, the supervisiors ordered the pathway shut down.

While the large tunnel may have collapsed - three hundred years was a long time, especially when it had to bear the high pressure of the ocean - there should have still been an exit from this control room to the base. Deathstroke grinned smugly as he spotted the hidden door at the far wall; he would have missed it if he hasn't been looking for it in the first place.

Striding toward the ancient door, he yanked it open, and peered into the dark, damp corridor that sloped downwards. Deathstroke nodded, and stepped into it, on his way to the undersea base.

Time to finish his job.

* * *

"I see you are awake, clones," The man in the purple robe whispered, though his words could be heard clearly by the five teenagers trapped within tubes. "That is good. Soon, you shall undergo... the final treatments needed to craft you into the perfect weapons you were always destined to be - the weapons of the HIVE!"

His voice rang out in the room, full of evil bloodlust. Logan whimpered as he shrank down, looking much tinier than usual. Will glowered toward the man; Rich did the same, and Danielle glanced toward the still feebly stirring Caity. But the HIVE representative did not seem like he was done speaking yet.

"Ah, what a nightmare it had been, creating you, clones." Seeing that he had caught the teenagers' attention, the man continued. "Three hundred long years of many, many attempts at cloning various superheroes and repeated failures. Most clones would last only few hours before dying; a rare few would survive two days. To make matters worse,_ those_ men - " The robed figure spat onto the ground, " - stole the T strain and hid it! It took us over two hundred years to locate the missing DNA - long, painful years that set the HIVE's plans far back. Supervisiors come and go, Mistresses and Masters come and go; even the Seven come and go," The man took a deep breath. "Still, we failed to successfully create surviving super clones."

The five teenagers refused to tear their gazes away and admit weakness when the robed man met their eyes, one by one. "Until now. Imagine our joy when we discovered that we had finally created thriving clones! Clones that didn't die - clones that would not die. _Stable_ clones!" He stepped forward; his eyes gleamed wickedly, and his jaw quivered with excitement. "Many long years, and the HIVE have at long last developed clones of the original Teen Titans!"

The two last words echoed in the spacious room; the air itself continued to ring as the robed man whirled around, and strode toward the lone monitor that sat beside the tubes. "Soon, clones, you will embrace your destiny." With those words, the man pressed his hand down on the control board, and red lights glowed from the tops of their tubes. They glanced up in curiousity and -

Blinding, hot pain immediately seared through the teenagers' minds without warning; it was as if something monstrous were clawing from inside out of their brains - their very beings were being mauled, tortured and twisted mercilessly. The five clones screamed, thrashed, and wailed, but no relief came.

It would truly be a miracle if they survived the ordeal.

* * *

A pained scream snapped Psy out of his slumber. "_Hansika!_" The woman in question was hanging limply from her chains, silent tears flowing down her face; her battered and bloodied wings drooped to the floor. Feathers were scattered everywhere amist the splattered blood. The agent turned toward Psy, revealing to him the torture instrument, which cackled with searing electricity.

Psy frowned and closed his eyes as he focused on his telepathy and tried to dive into the torturer's mind - and a jolt stopped him. He grunted, swore, and only then did he notice the headset on his forehead; a telepathy inhabitor. It had toned down his power, leaving only enough enegry for him to speak. However, he suspected that whoever had imprisoned them didn't imagine that Psy could still sense the other people in the room: Rapid and Frost Queen. They were still out, but safe for the moment.

It was Healer who needed help. Psy glared venomously at the man, who chuckled spitefully. "Oho ho, dis li'l man be awake, eh? Maybe he talk," The lackey stepped close, hefting his spearlike object. "Any las' words, li'l man?"

The Titan smirked. "_Graduate elementary school, willya?_" His tongue-in-cheek comment earned him a vicious slash in the stomach from the polearm; his flesh sizzled and bubbling blood spilled, burning the skin below his belly.

Psy grunted, and mocked the henchman with a, "_Ha! What was that? My grandmamma could hit harder!_" He had to draw the torturer's attention away from Healer - she didn't look like she could take another blow. Almost as if reading his mind, the woman cracked open an swollen, black eye - their eyes met for a moment, but Psy's attention was quickly diverted by the lackey.

His taunt was successful; the man snarled, and smacked Psy in the head with the instrument - it spilt the thin skin protecting Psy's skull, and the telepath groaned in pain. However, the Titan proved his bravery - or perhaps it was stupidity - as he spat out, "_Yer face's so ugly, not even yer mama likes it!_"

Much later, Psy would reflect on this and wonder whether that was going too far. He concluded that, perhaps, it was indeed over the line because he remembered nothing afterwards other than the numbing pain and Healer's weak, anguished whisper in his mind.

_Jon_...

* * *

Swearing, Lucy exited the holding cell and stomped toward the end of the corridor. She didn't look up, as very few ever did, and so she missed out on the man crouching on the rafters hanging from the ceiling.

Deathstroke.

The masked man's eye followed the girl's path with slight interest. Just as Lucy reached the door and raised her hand to the control panel, he spoke up.

"My, my. What a delightful mouth you have. You do a sailor proud."

The woman gasped, and swirled around, but she saw nothing. However, Lucy was not a high-ranking officer for nothing - she glanced up whereas others would still have been looking to the left, right, ahead, and down. "You! What yer doin' here!?"

Deathstroke allowed himself a smirk under his mask as he responded, "Agent Two-Seven-Seven-Four, I presume?" Lucy blinked. "I'm the reinforcement that was promised. Now, what shall we do? You know this place far better than I do - "

The man was cut off by Lucy, who sputtered, "W-wh-what! _You?_ Yer the back-up!? Ugh!" A small movement could be seen under the mask as Deathstroke rose an eyebrow at Lucy's swearing.

"...Madam, I must insist that you lower your voice, but otherwise, feel free to continue your stream of thought." Lucy scowled at him, and stopped cursing. "Thank you, darling. Now, as I was saying before, where can I find the clones? I'm afraid I didn't bring a map."

The redheaded stared at him for a long moment before she opened her mouth. "They're bein' held thataway," She jabbed a thumb at the door behind her and continued, "But they're heavily guarded. If y' stick ter the rafters, I don't think they woulda see ya as easily. Jest go straight ahead, no left or right turns. I'll free the others."

Deathstroke blinked once. "The others?"

Lucy nodded. "Yah, the Titans, Frost Queen, Mark, an' - " Her voice cracked only slightly, " - Momma are here, too. In fact, Mark an' Momma's right there." She nodded toward the room she had left a few moments ago.

The masked man narrowed his eye for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Feel free to do as you wish. My job is to rescue the clones, and nothing else. I don't treat those who serve as an obstacle kindly... even if it is you."

Lucy frowned, though she nodded. Deathstroke jerked his head in a single bob, and crept across the rafters to the end of the corridor - there was a small opening near the top, wide enough only to admit the rafters and one person if he crawled forward on his stomach.

Once the man disappeared from view, Lucy took in a shaky breath. Closing her eyes for a moment, she nodded to herself and made her way over to the cell holding her brother and mother.

They had quite an evening ahead of them.

* * *

Danielle felt herself buck against the glass walling of the tube, but she paid no heed to that as she slumped into a heap, sobbing fervently under the terrible, ravaging, nightmarish, _horrible_ pain - she couldn't bear it much longer.

stop stop no nonono it hurts stop STOP STOP it hurts hurts hurts stop stop NO NO NO stop it hurtshurts stop stop PLEASE!

The red glow above her disappeared. She couldn't see anything; tears had coated her eyes. She only saw black, yellow, and white blurs. The red nightmare was gone; she no longer hurt. The pain had stopped.

The trembling girl took in a long, deep breath, relishing the disappearance of the pain, but before she could muster the enegry to lift her head and look around, she collasped into a dead faint.

* * *

The purple-robed man frowned as he glared at the five clones. He had to put an end to the program before it could successfully install obedience in those clones, as they had proven much more difficult to break than anticipated; they had nearly died in the process. After all the time and money the HIVE had put into those prizes, he certainly wasn't going to toy around with their survival.

However, one good did came from this; he had gauged their pain tolerance and would be able to monitor the installation of obedience in small, separate sequences. It was only a matter of time before they broke.

The man allowed himself a vicious grin as he gazed at the clones. Such fantastic creatures. He turned toward the control board; he had to modifiy the program now, before others came in to observe the clones. After all, if he was to be the true master of those beasts, he had to work for it - nothing came free.

Perhaps he should go and get a bunch of nice collars for his soon-to-be pets. After they established him as the ruler of the world, of course.

* * *

Author's Note: I won't lie. I very much enjoyed writing the argument between Lucy and Mark.

The HIVE's base, and my interpretation of it: in both the comic and cartoon universe, their base were underwater, and I decided to add an island entrance, which didn't exist in either universes. The cartoon-HIVE had a beehive motif to it, and I liked the design. The comic-HIVE _did_ have a honeycomb theme, but the base wasn't yellow like the cartoon-HIVE. So, in short: imagine the layout and "feel" of the comic-HIVE with the cartoon-HIVE's colors.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers! Please continue on!


	13. Jailbreak

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, but the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Jailbreak**

Two guards, decked out in the yellow HIVE armor, shifted weight as they stood on each side of an unmarked, stainless steel door in a lonely corridor. The first guard, an unusually tall and thin man, yawned.

"Man, we bin guardin' zis door long time. Ah wanna go ter da bed."

The second guard, a squat woman, sent him an annoyed glance, despite her face being obscured by a helmet. "Quit talking in that stupid accent - and it's not even _an_ accent, it's just a whole heap of 'em mixed."

A low chuckle rang out from the male guard's head gear. "Oh, but Ah like talkin' dis way. 'Tis fun. Joo cannae complain, y' like it, an' y'know it, mon." He recieved another venemous glare from his companion, and a laugh freed itself from him. Then he sighed; it was long and drawn out. "Why do we got to stand here, anyway? Those animals are way too stupid to figure how to bust out."

The woman didn't comment on his now-standard accent, but rather responded to his rhetorical question. "You know as well as I do, the Seven's paying us real good just to stand here. I'm not going to complain, for one."

The tall, thin man shuddered; it was quite a sight as shivers ran down his entire body. "Lady, I don't like being so close to those... _things,_ and you know that!"

The squat woman reached and gently patted her co-worker on his lower back; she couldn't reach any higher. "Neither do I, but I've seen those guys a few times. They're sweet in a weird, nasty way. They won't hurt us."

He had a dark last word to that: "Wanna bet?"

* * *

"They don't like us," The sad voice rang out within a dark, moldy room located deep in the undersea HIVE base. Water dripped from the ceiling; lichen and fungi of many kinds had overtaken the cell. "They keep calling us 'things' and 'animals.'" The figure, who was crouching at the door, sighed mournfully as it joined the pack in the center of the chilly room.

One of the beings spoke in a high, cold voice: "SB-47, do not concern yourself with the biological organisms. They cannot do anything to us without the masters' permission. They dare not harm us, for we are the masters' beloved clones."

SB-47, the clone who had eavesdropped at the door, cocked her head, and warbled through her gnarly teeth for a moment before responding to her sister. "CS-54, you know that are not true; the masters only seek us to capture our primary brothers and sisters. Once the primary clones are captured, who knows what they might would do with us?"

NR-130 joined the conversation. "Don't worry, SB-47. They'll keep us, because the more clones they have, the better. Besides, we're just as good as the primary clones!"

"Yes!" BN-66 agreed, "We're as good as them! Maybe even better, because we've been here longer!" CN-5, CR-70, and SN-23 quickly piped up their words:

"If they don't want us any longer, SB-47, we'll just leave!"

"The masters will make the primary clones live here with us and work with us!"

"There's more of us than our brothers and sisters!"

As he silently listened to his brethren reassuring themselves that their masters would not dispose of them once the primary clones had been captured, BR-13 turned his attention to the door faintly outlined with light, and felt his heart sink.

He knew the truth; none of they would survive. One by one, their bodies would fail them - it was, truly, a miracle that any of them had survived thus far, BR-13 especially. BR-13 knew this because, unlike his siblings - even the primary ones - he was created long ago, ages before any of his other siblings had been born.

BR-13 (BR-13a to be precise) was the only surviving clone from the very first batch grown just months after the Teen Titans died. The scientists, amazed and motivated by this clone which had survived four days, but not naive enough to realize that he might - no, _would_ - perish soon, placed him into deep freeze and kept him throughout those long three hundred years as inspiration for future clonists.

What they had no idea was that BR-13 somehow - perhaps due to Raven's demonic anatomy - remained aware. He was consicious, and he learned. He learned many things, including secrets about himself. He knew why he was placed into deep freeze, and why he had been unfrozen after so many years... to hunt the primary clones who would not die. BR-13 knew that it was sheer miracle he hadn't passed on yet.

It would be only a matter of time before he, and his brothers and sisters, did.

* * *

Deathstroke crouched on the rafters, careful to be on guard, and stared at the commotion below him with mild interest.

The man in the purple robe was speaking to seven looming figures that formed a semi-circle around the five tubes set at the wall furthest from the two doors in the room.

"As you can see, the primary clones each have an extraordinary pain tolerance, which I have already gauged, so it will only be a small matter of time of a combination of brain-washing and mental breaking before they are completely under our control."

The Seven glanced at the five collasped clones before the leftmost one remarked, "We are uncomfortable with subjecting them to so much pain. Teaching a clone to obey is like training a dog."

The woman next to the man who just spoke nodded and added, "Yes. Too much pain and they will turn on us. No, it's better to limit how much they take everyday, and reward good behavior with treats. We must build loyalty in them."

The man in the purple robe flushed, but before he could protest or answer, the Seven cut in. "Especially with NT-37. We have so few Troia clones, thanks to the... incident that took place all those years ago."

High above in the rafters, Deathstroke smirked. He was quite well-acquainted with the 'incident' concerning Troia's DNA. Below him, the man in the purple robe finally got his turn to speak.

"Of course not. I would treat those clones like pets of royalty. They would get the finest nourishment, proper treats after each session and - "

"Silence."

The man in the purple robe shushed immediately, and the Seven continued. "Do not treat them too finely, or they might come to expect it. Merely treat them well, and they will be loyal. They are, after all, like dogs - they can't appericate rich luxuries."

At this, the Seven lined up and strode out of the room through the east door. Deathstroke raised an eyebrow. Dogs? Interesting way to describe clones. Distantly, he supposed that the Teen Titans of old - Raven especially, most likely because she would be able to sense their emotions and their souls, if they existed - would strongly object to the world view toward the clones today.

He loved the irony. The world, in its hurry to become more open-minded, had instead become more narrow-minded. While the world accepted nearly anything, they couldn't accept the clones because they came from practically the same source as stem cell-grown organs. Half of them were even used for organ harvest. But really, it was because the clones were merely... different.

Poor guys. But it was not Deathstroke's job to change the world, so he pushed away those thoughts and focused on the lone man in the room. The man's body language told Deathstroke that he would soon leave the room.

When he did, it would be time to free those clones and finish the job.

After all, he _never_ failed.

* * *

"Momma?"

Mama glanced, surprised, at the doorway where Lucy stood. Mark ignored her with a cold shoulder. "Lucy? What are ya doin' here?"

Her daughter blinked. "There's been a change of plan. Ah'm bustin' y'all free, but y'all gotta lissen t' me, okay?" True to her word, Lucy hurried forward, withdrew a key, and released Mama from her shackles before turning toward Mark.

"Yer gonna fall, Markie, y' ready fer it?" Mark shot an icy glare in her direction, though he nodded. Lucy then reached above - she had always been taller than Mark, even when they were kids - and unlocked the chains. Mark grunted as he landed on his feet.

"Okay, follow me. Do what Ah says, an' y'all gonna be fine. Ready?" Mama and Mark nodded; Lucy motioned for them to follow her out of the door. However, before they stepped into the hallway, Lucy paused and shut the door.

"Oh, one last thing: y' gotta stay in front of me, so Ah can pretend Ah'm transferrin' y'all ta a new cell." She then turned to face them, and her face was full of regret. "Ah'm sorry, but Ah gotta put 'em on ya." Mama and Mark glanced down; in her hands were shackles.

Mama sighed and nodded, holding out her hands. Lucy gently clicked the bonds on her, and when the redhead turned toward Mark, she was met with a hostile scowl. Mama glanced between her children; it was quickly becoming tense. The elderly woman let loose another weary, long-drawn sigh.

"Oh, my boy an' my girl, don't tell me y'all already forgot what Mama taught y'all!"

Both of her former foster children startled; Lucy blinked and became slightly red as Mark threw a wild glance in Mama's direction. Then he opened his mouth. "Lucy... I'm sorry for... you know, calling you stupid and..." He trailed off, embarrassed.

His sister gave him a half-heartened grin. "Ah'm sorry, too, fer callin' ya a sonofa- an' callin' ya a coward an' callin' ya a crybaby an' - " Mark cut her off.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Don't worry, I... forgive you. Do you...?"

Lucy grinned. "O'course Ah do! Brother an' sister again?"

Mark nodded, clearly relieved. Before he could speak or protest, Lucy pulled him into a hug. Mama beamed at them both. "Oh, I'm so proud of you two!"

Lucy remained red, though she took several deep breaths to calm herself, and when Mark willingly held out his hands, she blinked for a moment before remembering to place the shackles on his wrists. "Ready?" At her prisoners' nod, Lucy opened the door and nudged Mark and Mama ahead of her.

The trio entered the hallway, and Lucy gently poked Mark and Mama in their backs, indicating which direction to go. They strode toward the exit to the right of the prison cell, and it opened smoothly, revealing a large room filled with beeping monitors.

Lucy whispered, "We're gonna walk through a few rooms before we reach the others' cell." Mama fought the urge to glance back at Lucy, and the redhead, knowing her mother well, confirmed Mama's suspicions with her next words: "Tha's the Titans an' Frost Queen."

Mark glanced at Mama out of the corner of his eye and muttered under his breath, "Should we call her... Aunt? Frost Queen, I mean."

Mama was silent for a moment before answering, "That's up ter y'all. Personally, I would say yes. Barbara ain't met many kind people in her life, an' I haven't raised my kids ta be nice fer nothin'!"

Both of her children were quiet at that comment. Mama nodded slightly as she continued, "O'course, I understand that y'all might would not like callin' her Aunt, an' I ain't forcin' you two ter do so. But I woulda like it if ya be nice ta her."

They had reached the door on the other side of the room; Lucy pressed at the control panel, and it slid out of the way. Lucy whispered to the two, "This hallway's a fork, see? We go down the left, an' we'll enter another hallway, then we'll be at their holdin' cell."

With this, the trio picked up their pace slightly as they hurried toward the fork. Meanwhile, Mark frowned. "Lucy? We haven't seen anybody at all. Shouldn't there be more officers and lackeys here?"

Lucy nodded, but then she realized that she was behind Mark and Mama; they couldn't see her. "Yah, but Ah dismissed 'em, told 'em ta go ta Sector Two. This is Sector Nine... remember, Ah'm the manager o' this base."

Mark nodded, and had another question: "...Why did you join this... order? Lucy, you know how evil they are!"

This earned him a harder-than-necessary jab in the back. Ignoring Mark's "_ow!_", Lucy sighed. "Ah'm already breakin' rules with y'all, Ah suppose this couldn't hurt. Ah cain't emphasize this enough - _keep this a secret!_" Mark and Mama nodded; they had reached the fork. They turned left, and Lucy picked up where she left off.

"Ah'm really workin' fer the government. Don't ask which agency, Ah cain't tell y'all. Ah'm already tellin' y' too much! Anyways, Ah was planted here ter exploit 'em from the inside. Tha's why Ah was ordered ta... turn y'all over ta the HIVE," Lucy's voice was sad, and Mama wanted to hug her and tell her that everything was all right. "Mah supervisiors told me that they would send reinforcements, an' they did. Deathstroke's here - " Mark and Mama gasped. " - ter free the clones, an' Ah'm helpin' y'all, though Ah gotta look like Ah'm a loyal HIVE officer so Ah can keep mah position here."

Mama dared a glance at Lucy. "Oh, I'm so proud of ya! That's a _big_ job - yer jest the girl fer it!" Mark nodded in agreement, and Lucy beamed, even though her brother and mother couldn't see it. "Don't worry, Markie an' I ain't tellin' anybody ever!"

"Oh, definitely! After all, you never told anybody about how I used to sleep with a teddy bear until I was fifteen - I owe you." Mark said, and Lucy sniggered.

"Oh yah, Ah've been meanin' ter ask ya, Markie, do y' still have Mista' Snuggles?"

Mark shot Lucy a withering scowl over his shoulder. "Firstly, his name is not Mister Snuggles. It's Mister Softy-Fur - _don't_ snigger at_ me!_ _You_ named _your_ pipe wrench _Sheila!_ - and secondly, so what if I do? I don't sleep with him anymore. Really."

Lucy nodded as she replied, "Uh-huh, right. An' Ah suppose talkin' with yer bear before bed doesn't count?"

His answer was swift: "No, it never did. And I don't talk to him. Much."

Mama rolled her eyes before cutting in with a, "Oh, shush, kiddies. Everybody does somethin' embarrassin'. Don't go 'round teasin' yer brother, Lucy! Meanwhile, are we close ta 'em?"

"Yah, Momma. We go through this door, an' the first door we come ta, tha's 'em." As she spoke, Lucy pressed at the control panel next to the door. It slid open to reveal another hallway... but in this one, two guards stood next to a steel door on the side. "Uh-oh, looks like they didn't get mah word ter clear out. Don't talk, Ah'll handle this."

Lucy steered Mark and Mama toward the guards, and then she stood tall, puffed out her chest, and strode towards the guards - she cut quite the impressive figure. Predictably, the two guards straightened and stood at attention, if not slightly nervous.

"Madam! What brings you here?" The larger guard spoke with a deep voice. Lucy cast a scornful glance in his direction.

"Why are y' still here? Ah sent word an hour ago ta report ta Sector Two!"

The guards shared a glance before the smaller guard bravely spoke up - judging from his voice, he couldn't have been any older than nineteen. "Beg your pardon, ma'am, but after your order, we recieved a different one from the Seven: we are to remain here until they say otherwise."

Lucy narrowed her eyes, and before either of the guards could respond, slammed her pipe wrench into their heads. They slumped to the floor - they would be out for quite a while. Mama raised her eyebrows and Mark gaped, clearly awestruck with the speed and accuracy with which Lucy moved. "Wow! You're_ really_ well-practiced with that wrench - guess all those years of beating up the bullies with Sheila for me really paid off, huh?"

Lucy chuckled and patted Mark on his shoulder. "Yah, Markie. Ah gotta thank ya fer that. Sheila an' Sheila Junior sure come in useful plenty o' times." Mark grinned, and Lucy moved forward to the door. Tinkering with her keys for a while, she soon found the right one and inserted it into the lock.

"Ah gotta warn y'all, Ah think they were tortured. Ah tried to delay their torture until Ah was able ta git 'em out, but..." Lucy trailed off as she opened the door. She peered inside, and then glanced over her shoulder regretfully at Mama. "Ah didn't succeed. They're... still alive."

She stepped back to free Mark and Mama from their shackles, and then flicked the light on as the trio entered the room; the air had a strong coppery smell. Mama let loose a disbelieving cry upon the sight of her brother slumped on the floor. The woman rushed to him, and Psy moaned as Mama gently pulled him into her lap.

Frost Queen stirred at the sound of Mama's voice, and groaning, she slowly awakened. Her eyes squinted in confusion at Lucy and Mark before landing on Mama and Psy. "Jon! Marcy, what happened?"

Mama shook her head; tears were already running down her face. "I don't know, Barbara! Lucy, ain't there anythin' y' can do?"

Lucy shook her head sadly, and upon noticing Frost Queen straining against her chains, said, "Wait! Ah'll free ya!" True to her word, she quickly identified the correct key, and soon Frost Queen was kneeling beside Mama, inspecting Psy's wounds.

The weathered villian let loose a relieved sigh. "It's not as bad as it looks, Marcy. Jon'll be fine as long as he doesn't do anythin' heavy. He lost a bit of blood, but he's still got enough... is there water here?"

Mark glanced toward the wall to their right and cried out, "Yes!" He hurried toward the shelves - it was full of water bottles, clearly for the torturer's use. Too bad the HIVE agent hadn't thought to remove the bottles. Mark grabbed one, and returned to Frost Queen.

She took the bottle from Mark, and gently shook Psy's shoulder. "_Uh... wha...?_"

"Jon, y' awake?" Mama whispered as Frost Queen began to unscrew the cap of the water bottle.

"_No... wait... yah? I can't think..._"

Frost Queen firmly told him, "Thinkin' ain't needed. What ya gotta do, Jon, is drink this." She brought the water bottle to Psy's mouth, and he downed a fair portion.

Uncomfortable with doing nothing, Lucy turned toward the two other Titans - Healer and Rapid. Rapid was fine, but Healer... her throat thick, Lucy freed the battered woman from the chains and gently carried her toward the three Millers; as she put Healer down, she carefully splayed the wings out - they were in such a terrible state, Lucy were afraid of putting any weight on them. "Could y' take care o' her? I think she's worse off than Psy."

Frost Queen nodded quickly. "Yes, she needs medical attention soon. Marcy, please try ter wake her up while I get more water."

Mama nodded in agreement and as she began gently squeezing on Healer's shoulder - Psy had gone back to slumber - Frost Queen stood and jogged toward the shelves. Lucy blinked away the tears as she set around to freeing Rapid. Mark crouched by Mama to get a good look at Healer.

Rapid groaned as Lucy dragged him toward the group, though he remained unconicious. Lucy glanced more closely at Healer, and swore. "Ah know who did this. It's the Confessor - he's the worst o' 'em all. He always gits carried away... wait!"

Lucy swirled around and tore off toward Frost Queen, who was busy gathering water bottles into her arms. "Move, lady! Ah got an idea!" Lucy knelt and peered at the bottom shelf. "Aha!" She reached inside, yanked on something, and a small door burst loose on the side of the shelves.

"The Confessor always hurt himself too, so he keeps a bunch o' first aid here. We could use 'em on Healer!" Frost Queen nodded.

"Good job, dearie! I'll take the water, ya take the first aid." Lucy blinked at the nickname, though she said nothing as she hurredly collected the medical supplies. Both women returned to the group, and Mark grabbed the first aid, popped the box open, and set around to mending Healer's wounds as best as he could.

Frost Queen knelt down beside Mama, and frowned as she inspected Healer. "How is she doing?" Mark asked the experienced villian, worriedly.

The old woman sighed. "Boy, I seen many injuries an' worse durin' my years as a bad guy, an' I'm tellin' y'all, this ain't good. With first aid, she mebbe could last a couple o' hours, but unless she gets help soon, she won't make it."

At her forbidding words, Mama closed her eyes in prayer as Mark and Lucy shared a worried glance. Psy and Rapid were still out, though Psy had begun to look slightly better after recieving water; his main issue had been dehydration.

Lucy sighed, and stood up. As she walked toward the door, she paused for a moment. "Markie, willya come with me? Ah'm gonna need yer help." Mark blinked, and nodded as he joined Lucy. She then glanced at Mama and Frost Queen. "Momma, Ah'll lock this door an' drag the guards away. Jest stay here an' tend t' the Titans the best y' can."

Mama nodded as Frost Queen reached for the first aid kit. Lucy sighed as she returned her attention to Mark.

"Y' ready t' rock this place?"

Mark grinned at her. "You bet!"

* * *

Author's Note: The comic-HIVE were led by the Master/Mistress and the Seven. Those figurines are shrouded in mystery, though we did learned that the original HIVE's Seven were made up by some of the most brilliant scientists on the planet, and that they strove for dominance, particularly on the scientific landscape. (As revealed by the early Wolfman-Perez _New Teen Titans_ issues.) The cartoon-HIVE was led by Brother Blood, but I decided to go with the comic origins: the HIVE and Brother Blood had nothing to do with each other.

Deathstroke (Slade) is a mercenary, and he's one of, if not _the,_ best. He isn't being arrogant when he claims that he never failed (well, he _has__,_ but it's very incredibly rare, and he usually gets around the failure anyways). I'm glad I decided to add him into my story - he adds an interesting element.

I hope you're enjoying the story thus far, my dear readers. Read on!


	14. Clone Chaos!

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, however the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Clone Chaos!**

Deathstroke placed the grappling hook on the edge of the rafters and tugged at it. Satisfied, he scooted toward the edge before stepping off. It was at least a fifty foot drop, and so he carefully lowered himself on the cable - the rafters were in the center of the room, so he had no wall to rappel down.

As soon as he reached the floor, he pressed at a button on his belt and the grappling hook abruptly closed into itself and withdrew to his pouch. Deathstroke nodded - the technology of this era was so much better than what he had to use three hundred years ago, though by no means did it dimish his skill.

Staying silent for a moment, he listened for any newcomers. No footsteps fell, so Deathstroke made his way over to the computer he had seen the HIVE agents working on. Upon reaching it, he snorted. Those idiots hadn't thought that somebody could make this far into the base and had left their hardware unguarded.

Fools.

Deathstroke, however, didn't press on the button labelled RELEASE - there had to be a catch. He narrowed his eye, and again took in his surroundings. There were two doors, each on the wall opposite of the other. Forunately for him, however, Deathstroke was behind the tubes - it would give him a cover for a short while. Besides, as long as he remained near the clones, the henchmen won't dare to fire; they would have to engage him in close combat... of which he was the sole master.

Satisfied with the layout of the room, Deathstroke pressed the button; a hissing informed him that the tubes had begun to open. The five clones moaned as fresh air met them, and they groggily opened their eyes. Deathstroke waited, however. It would start soon.

Just as he expected, red lights began to flash and an alarm blared. It wouldn't be long before the lackeys would come running into this room. Deathstroke noted with curiousity that the clones flinched upon seeing the red lights, but he pushed the observation aside as he hurried forward and grasped Logan's arm - the boy was so tiny, Deathstroke doubted that he could handle the jump down from the prison he was in.

"Get up, and jump down! We need to get moving!" At his words, the dizzy teenagers nodded and managed to clumsily make their way down. Deathstroke clutched at his staff - something was wrong here. No goons had appeared yet. "Kids, I think we're in for a rough fight. Stay on your guard."

The clones shared a look, and gulped. At least Deathstroke was on their side.

* * *

The door opened abruptly, flooding the fungus-ridden gloomy cell with light. The beings inside it winced and groaned as the bright onslaught blinded their eyes, if only temporarily. Soon, their sight cleared enough for them to see the man in the purple robes standing in the doorway.

"Listen, clones! The alarm has sounded - the primary clones have somehow broken out. You are to detain them, and contain them until we are able to put the leash on them again. Is that understood, clones?"

CN-5 nodded as he answered for his siblings, "Clearly, master!"

The man gave a curt nod, and stepped back to allow the eight monstrous clones to exit the room. "One last thing, clones, do_ not_ even _think_ of cooperating with the primary clones to escape, for it is impossible."

BR-13 whimpered as he left the cell last; he cowered as he gingerly stepped past the man in the purple robe. The man had brutally beaten BR-13 in the past, and the clone wasn't too eager to give him another excuse to do so. "We... are... GOOD clones! We... will NOT... side with our... BROthers and... sisTERS!"

The man sneered at the most bestial of the clones. "Shut up, you pathetic creature. Do your duty!"

BR-13 narrowed his four black eyes as he followed his siblings down the corridor; he, along with NR-130 and CR-70, could - for some reason - sense the two SR clones. They weren't far off... soon they would finally meet the primary clones.

And for once and all, prove their worth to the masters. After all,_ they_ were the _good_ clones.

* * *

Deathstroke widened his eye. "Oh dear." The five teenagers peered around him, and let loose frightened gasps.

In the west doorway stood the eight monstrous clones.

Deathstroke narrowed his eye as he crouched down. He whispered to the clones behind him, "I'll handle them all. If one of them heads toward you, call for me - you can't use, let alone control, your powers yet, and they certainly can. Be wary." The teenagers swallowed, unable to speak; fear had overtaken them.

CS-54 lifted her cannon arm; aiming it toward Deathstroke and his charges, it began to hum and glow with an unearthly green light. Deathstroke swept out with his leg and knocked the five clones beside him to the floor; just as Deathstroke himself ducked, the beam missed them and hit the wall behind them. Debris crashed down in a billowing dust flurry.

Encouraged by their sister who had struck first, SB-47, SN-23, and BN-66 sprinted forward to the five teeangers, but Deathstroke halted their progress by flipping SN-23 into SB-47 and dodging BN-66's bear claw.

Unhappy with the masked man that had harassed their siblings, CN-5, CR-70, and NR-130 quickly joined the fight. CS-54 decided to enter the melee as well. Deathstroke allowed himself a quick smirk - seven dangerous enemies. This would be fun.

As he fought, Deathstroke was careful to keep an eye on the eighth clone, BR-13. So far, the mutant had been merely observing the fight along with the five awestruck teenagers. Meanwhile, Deathstroke ducked CN-5's wild punch before leaping backward to avoid NR-130's soul-self claw. CS-54 grabbed onto Deathstroke's staff, and he immediately felt by the force with which she took it that he wouldn't be able to win the staff back.

So he let the staff go, and as he frog-leapt over SB-47, he withdrew two katanas from the shealths on his back. Moving smoothly, he swiftly blocked CR-70's sonic blast with the swords, and then he delivered a kick to the wolf BN-66's chin. The clone went down.

This only made the other clones angry. SN-23 snarled as he along with SB-47 and CS-54 hurled starbolts toward Deathstroke, who unerringly dodged them all. CN-5 growled as he attempted to run behind Deathstroke - but the man was far too experienced, too clever for the clone's attempt. Deathstroke shealthed his katanas, then grabbed CN-5's arm and hurled him into CR-70.

Their heads collided, and they slumped beside BN-66. Only four remained; SB-47, SN-23, CS-54 and NR-130. NR-130 was potentially the most dangerous, because she was a Raven clone, so Deathstroke leapt toward her. The startled clone didn't have time to react before he jabbed her with a sedative. She began to twitch and moan as she lowered to the floor.

Soon, NR-130 had blacked out, and Deathstroke barely had time to duck as CS-54, SN-23, and SB-47 let loose another barrage of starbolts in his direction. While anybody else would have berated Deathstroke for not taking down the Starfire clones quickly, he knew that the clones would let Starfire's temper carry them off, and not to mention, the Tamaranean herself had trained for years to reach her level of skill. The clones themselves were barely three months old.

He definitely didn't need to concern himself over their deadly power; they could barely wield it. Indeed, he could work it to his advantage. Deathstroke hopped around the room like a grasshopper, dodging the three clones' starbolts - all they had succeeded in was frustating themselves.

SB-47 was the first one to snap. Roaring, she revealed the Beast Boy in her - she swelled into an angry creature which Deathstroke had never seen before; it looked like a combination of a bear and an ape. She swiped out at the man with her one arm, and he dodged it, swept out with his legs into hers. SB-47 lost her balance, and Deathstroke quickly made his way over to SN-23 and CS-54.

CS-54 was another dangerous clone; being a Cyborg clone, she undoubtedly inherited Cyborg's brilliant mind and being a Starfire, it was obvious that she had inherited the Tamaranean's tenacity. However, CS-54 was largely a cyborg, and cyborgs are still machines. Despite the technology improvements, machines still go haywire.

Deathstroke flipped over SN-23, landed behind CS-54, and before either could react, popped open the small covering on CS-54's back to reveal a jumble of circuits. The masked man quickly inserted a scrambler; CS-54 screamed as electricity crackled around her.

She fell forward, unconcious, and Deathstroke ducked to avoid SN-23's angry swipe. SB-47 had recovered and joined the fight as a frightening jaguar. Deathstroke held back a snort; when were the Beast Boy clones going to learn that it was far too easy to knock out cats? One merely had to hit on the precisely right spot. The mercant struck SB-47 on the side of her head, and she went down. SN-23 shrieked savagely as he lashed out at Deathstroke, but he dodged the blow.

Tiring of the fight, Deathstroke withdrew the stunner and quickly blasted SN-23 with it. Watching the clone collapse, he turned his attention to the last clone - BR-13.

Their eyes met. Like before when they saw each for the first time, BR-13's four black eyes were full of pain. Deathstroke almost felt bad for the critter. He hefted up his stun gun, aimed between BR-13's eyes and squeezed the trigger...

BR-13 roared; before the laser hit him, a black force ripped out of him and enveloped the room. Deathstroke felt himself being grabbed around his waist and hauled backward, and yet he didn't slam into the wall.

The yanking continued for a long moment, and then the cold blackness disappeared, along with the odd sensation, and Deathstroke found himself in an old corridor. Cursing, he realized that the clones were not with him; BR-13 had teleported him away. To make the matters worse, it looked as he had ended up in one of the closed-off areas of the base.

It would take a while to get out and retrieve his targets.

Damn clones.

* * *

Lucy shushed Mark as the duo paused at a door, listening through it. "Quiet, Markie!"

Mark held back an annoyed scoff, and instead whispered, "You haven't told me where we're going."

"Ah hasn't? Mah bad. We're goin' ta the mainframe, an' y' coulda work yer computer magic, Mark, an' wipe their files on the clones." Mark nodded in agreement as Lucy opened the door and led him down the hallway. "It's not far... jest gotta go through a few rooms an' hallways ter get there."

"Okay." Mark hesistated for a moment as the two jogged through the room. "...Lucy, the lack of people are making me nervous."

The redhead glanced around. "Yah, this is weird, but remember the alarm that sounded a while back? Ah bet everybody went ter the Center where the Seven give us directions. Ah'm excused, naturally, because as the manager, Ah'm supposed ter go t' the mainframe anyways an' try ta find somethin'." She flashed a grin at Mark. "Perfect cover!"

Mark smirked as they reached the second door; Lucy opened it, and soon they were sprinting down the corridor. "So, we're erasing the files on our clones or on all clones?"

"Ah'm hopin' we can erase everythin', but if we cain't, then we jest kill the information on our clones. Ah don't want the HIVE after 'em again!" Lucy's voice had gone steely; it amazed Mark how much she sounded like Mama in that moment.

Soon, they reached the end of the hallway; Lucy opened the door, but this time the room was occupied. The four officers scrambled out of their seats upon catching sight of Lucy - they had been playing poker.

"Madam!" They saluted her, but Mark could hear the tremble in their voices.

Lucy, playing her part, scowled at the henchmen. "What'a y' doin'!? Playin' cards!? Didn't y'all heard the alarm, or are y'all deaf? _Go!_" The lackeys quivered and scurried out of the room, casting fearful glances at Lucy; they never even noticed Mark.

Lucy snorted once the goons were out of earshot. "Slackers. Gonna report 'em. C'mon, Markie, we're almost there!"

Mark hid a grin as he followed his sister - it was highly entertaining to see somebody else recieve her wrath for once. Lucy opened the door, and they hurried through yet another hallway; this one, however, was a fork.

Lucy led Mark right, and before long, they were standing before a heavily reinforced door. Lucy punched in the code and the door slid open. The redhead flicked on the light as Mark made a beeline for the large computer's controls.

Making himself comfortable, Mark cracked his knuckles before he began typing. Lucy, meanwhile, closed the door behind her and strode toward one of the two other doors and typed something in the control panel.

"What are you doing?" Mark couldn't help asking.

"Ah'm changin' the password, so they won't bother us," Lucy answered as she joined Mark.

"Why not change the password to the left door, too?" She glanced back at the door in the question.

"That one been shut fer centuries now. The control panel's broken beyond repair - nobody uses it anymore." Her voice had an odd note in it; Mark glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the screen: he was close to cracking the code.

"What is it, Lucy?"

She swallowed hard before replying, "Oh, nothin'. It's a bunch o' myths."

"Tell me them. We have time, this code isn't easy to break. Besides, I'm curious," Mark encouraged Lucy. She sighed hard before nodding.

"Fine. Myth is, the Titans - Robin the first, Wonder Girl the first, Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, an' Raven - died here. In fact, the story said that Wonder Girl died in this very room," Mark actually stopped typing and stared at Lucy in horror before remembering himself and returning his attention to the screen. "Don't say Ah didn't warn ya. Anyways... the story says tha' Wonder Girl an' Robin were the only ones still alive when they came through_ that_ door."

Mark widened his eyes, though he kept his focus on the screen. Lucy gulped before continuing, "They say that the reason nobody uses the door anymore is because Wonder Girl broke the control panel so badly, they couldn't fix it. Tha's why they built this third door." She paused, and shook her head. "Gah! Like Ah said, it's jest a bunch o' myths."

Mark nodded. "Yeah, but it's still creepy."

Lucy glanced at her brother, and nodded. "Yah, spooky."

Both fell into silence. If Troia really _had_ died here, in this very room... the pair shuddered and returned their attention to the screen - Mark had broken the code. Mark let loose a whoop of trumiph as Lucy scooted in closer to peer at the screen.

"There! Erase it, Markie!"

Instead, he opened it. "What y' doin', Mark?" Lucy stared at her brother. He glanced at her as he reassuared,

"I'm taking a quick look - I bet there's some important information in here."

Lucy sighed. "Fine, but it better be fast!" Mark nodded, and as the duo began digging into the archives, they quickly discovered interesting facts.

"Lucy!" Sensing that he had gotten her attention, Mark continued. "Wow - they're really desperate to get Rich! Apparently he's more valuable than all the other clones combined because he's a Troia - that's Wonder Girl the first - clone."

Lucy frowned. "Why that be? One woulda thunk it's the other way, that it's the Starfire an' Raven clones who are rare. Ah doubt that it's easy ta make clones from those two, they ain't human, remember?"

Mark nodded. "I figured the same, but it says here that the Troia DNA was stolen and then lost for over_ two hundred years!_" They shared an amazed glance. "In fact, it was actually Tempest - who was Aqualad the first, Flash - he was Kid Flash the first, and Arsenal - that's Speedy the first - who stole the DNA strain and hid it! The HIVE eventually hired a bunch of merchants to find it..." Mark stopped to gasp. "It was Deathstroke who found and returned it!"

The redhead snorted. "Deathstroke _is_ a merchant, he'll do anythin' fer money."

Mark nodded, however he added, "But remember, some of Deathstroke's kids were Titans. For that reason, one would think that he would aid the Titans a bit more, don't you?"

Lucy shrugged, and Mark continued to scan the screen. "Hey, Lucy?" His voice held a funny tone. She glanced at her brother in concern, and he cleared his throat. "You know how Mama always introduces Danielle and Caity as twins to any strangers?"

His sister nodded, and Mark continued. "Turns out they really _are_ twins," Lucy gasped.

"That ain't possible!"

"I know, but listen to this! '_The SR clones are highly unstable - and yet much more stable than any combination of S or R clones - and so unlike the purely human clones, which are produced in masses of thirties or forties, we create only one SR clone at a time, and only three SR clones were allowed to exist at a time, because they were highly difficult to monitor. This concerns the batch TA; SR-109ta was a failure. SR-110ta was faring far better than average. SR-111ta died in two days. However, on the fourth day, we discovered a phenomium unheard of; there was a second clone growing in the test tube along with SR-110! We dubbed it SR-112ta. Contrary to expectation, the two clones were not identical, despite the fact that SR-112 had apparently spilt from SR-110. It remains to be seen how their bond will affect the first twin clones in existance._'"

When Mark finished reading that, Lucy leaned against the back of the seat, her eyes wide in amazement. Meanwhile, her brother was shaking his head. "Impossible - _impossible!_ Lucy, you know how I'm studying genetics as a minor - I'm being serious, that is _not possible!_ Twin clones just don't exist!"

"Yah, but Markie, that makes sense! Danielle an' Caity always do everythin' together, an' didn't ya heard 'bout the dinosaur scenario back at the tower? Momma said that the girls' powers seem t' work together!" At Lucy's words, Mark sighed as he returned his attention to the screen.

Muttering "_Impossible_..." under his breath, Mark typed in a few more keywords. Soon, another window came up - the health records of the five clones. "Hey, Lucy, here's their health records!"

Lucy straightened up and listened as Mark rattled off: "Apparently Rich's eyes are light-sensitive, but the clonists put protective lenses in his eyes when he was a few weeks into development. Will... they cut off his arm and legs because they're atrophed and replaced them with cybernetic limbs. Logan..."

His eyes widened; Lucy began urging him to say it. "C'mon, spit it out! What is it, Markie?"

"Logan doesn't have an immune system!"

"What!" Lucy gasped in horror.

Mark was quick to add, "Wait - it's not as bad as you think!" Raising his voice to be heard over Lucy's scoff, Mark continued, "The clonists used the NIS technology. You know, using nanobots in place of immune system for those with AIDS and HIV. They adapted it for Logan... if he gets a scratch, he'll instantly heal!"

Mark glanced at Danielle and Caity's information, and snorted. "The girls, nothing we don't know already. Danielle's deaf in her right ear, and Caity's blind in her two red eyes."

Lucy slumped forward; shaking her head, she mumbled, "Man, it's crazy. How come those kiddies got so much problems?"

Chuckling, Mark answered, "The cloning technology is far from perfect, especially when there're multiple DNA sources, and much less if the DNA strains were from supers... actually, I'm surprised Danielle and Caity have so few problems, considering they're only a quarter human!"

Lucy snorted lightly at that remark. "Mebbe because when Caity split off Danielle, she took half o' the problems with her?"

"Heh, maybe you're right!" Mark snickered as he typed more on the controls. "I don't think there's any more important information - not that what we just learned wasn't important, it certainly was interesting…" He glanced at his sister. "Shall I erase all the files now?"

Lucy nodded. "Yah! Normally Ah'd copy the files before deleting it, but the HIVE jest added the anti-burning technology ter the mainframe... if y' try t' copy it, ya end up with a really nasty virus."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Not that it would bother me - viruses fear me. But here goes! Erasing the files in three... two... one!" They high-fived each other as the monitor beeped while the files were being destroyed. Mark glanced at the time displayed on the screen, and wondered, "Do I have time to delete the rest of the files on the other clones?"

Lucy hesistated. "...No. We gotta get _out_ o' here! We been here far too long! Good job, Markie." With this, Mark logged out and the duo rushed out of the right door, eager to share the news with Mama.

* * *

Deathstroke held back a curse as he glanced around at the rubble - his suspicions had been correct; indeed, he had been sent to the broken-down section of the base. He had been wandering for a half an hour to little success. However, he had noticed that several corridors displayed recent usage - he was currently tracking those hallways.

The footprints in the heavy dust ended abruptly before a door. Deathstroke narrowed his eye, and crouched down to inspect the prints. Along with the steps, there were also drag marks - something heavy had been lugged though here recently. Standing up, Deathstroke peered at the door. Normally, he would have already gone inside, but this time, his gut was screaming at him. Something was wrong here.

Composing himself, he ran his hand over the control panel and the door slid open. The sweet odor of rot immediately wafted out, and Deathstroke fought himself to stop from gagging. Squinting his eye to protect it from the dust drifting in the air, he stepped into the room.

Once his sight had adjusted to the darkness, Deathstroke spotted a small switch near the door. He activated it, and dim lights flickered on. He glanced upward, curiously noting the stains and wear on the ceiling - apparently, this room had not been improved upon in a long time. Then he lowered his gaze, and met a surprise.

The green chimpazee laid few feet from him; the primate had began to decay. Deathstroke wrinkled his nose as he stepped closer, observing the dead creature. Yes, this was Frost Queen's companion... Mojo Jojo, if he recalled correctly. He had seemed to died from torture injuries.

The merchant shook his head slightly, and straightened to take in his surroundings. It was absolutely covered with bodies; he actually couldn't see the floor. A very few of the corspes, all near the door, still had flesh on their bones. Some bones were still fresh, but most were old and a few even had fossilized. Deathstroke felt horror rising in him, even though he would never admit it. This place... he could barely believe it. The sheer magintude of it stunned him.

It was a graveyard.

* * *

Psy groaned, and immediately regretted it; a spiltting headache threatened to tear his mind apart. "Jon?" Who... Marcy. Psy cracked open an eye, and was met by Mama's worried face hovering just above him.

Next to Mama was Frost Queen. She also looked concerned. "_What... happened?_"

The two women glanced at each other. "Ya were tortured, Jon." Mama answered him; there were tears in her eyes. "An' so was Hansika... she doesn't look good."

Psy struggled to sit up, though he was far too weak; Mama and Frost Queen both hastily steadied him as he tottered. They gently lowered him to the ground. Mama glanced at Frost Queen before speaking, "I'll go an' put some more bandages an' medicine on Hansika again. Barbara, ya stay here an' watch over Jon an' Jay."

Frost Queen curtly nodded, and Mama stood up to move toward Healer. Frost Queen then glanced at Psy. "Jon, are ya feelin' okay?" She hesistated, aware of how silly it sounded. "Well, better than before."

Psy lowered his brows in confusion. "_Before?_"

The elderly woman blinked at him. "Yes, ya woke up a few times before, an' we gave ya some water every time. Don't ya remember?" Psy shook his head. "Hmph. Ya must've been hurtin' bad if ya don't remember."

Almost on cue, Psy groaned as another jolt of pain shot through him. Frost Queen abruptly grabbed him, and then gently pulled him onto her lap, away from the cold floor. Psy's eyes met hers, and for the first time since he had awakened to find himself in a different world where his sisters were thirty years older (and _fat,_ though he would never say that to Marcy) and just were_ not_ his sisters, he could, at long last, see the face of his sister. Not the face of an old, hard woman, but the face of his baby sister Barbara.

Psy, finally, felt at ease with his far-too-old sisters. "_Hey, Barbs? Thanks..._" Psy mumbled as he slipped into slumber once more.

Frost Queen smiled - and it felt _so_ good to smile again after many years.

* * *

Deathstroke gulped as he backed toward the door, and just as he was about to exit the room, something stopped him. He narrowed his eye, and glanced over his shoulder at the bones. His gut, again, was persisting him. Deathstroke normally followed his instincts.

He swirled around and strode into the heart of the room. Pausing for a moment, he withdrew his extra collapsible staff (CS-54 still had his main one) from his belt. Stepping gingerly around the litter of bones, he began tapping on the wall.

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

The wall was solid. However, something was unusual here. Deathstroke moved on to the next wall; he began tapping it.

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

_Tap._

When he reached the center of it, he found the wall was hollow. Aha. Deathstroke crouched low, and brushed away the thick layer of dust.

There - a tiny crack. It was a small door in the wall. Deathstroke withdrew a dagger, and jammed it into the crack. Grunting, he managed to pry the door open, and after clearing the bones to make way for the door, shoved it away from the wall.

Thick, stale air drifted out; Deathstroke choked for a moment and leaned back to clear his breath. After a moment, he was certain that he would not suffocate on the terrible air, he moved forward, bending to enter - the door was roughly five feet tall - and activated his flashlight.

The beam of light landed on a skeleton; Deathstroke - for the first time in a long while - was truly shocked as he took in the sight. There were six skeletons, each one grinning manically at him. His light swept over them; one had a black mask and black-and-blue costume: the skull was blown apart by a bullet. The second one had a star-strewn uniform on which the stars still flickered and moved. The third one's machinery had wasted away to nothing except for the steel frame and a few wires. The fourth one was draped in a heavy cloak, and four empty eye sockets glared maliciously at him. The fifth one was a beheaded large cat; its skull rested beside the body. The sixth and last one was certainly not human, and had purple armor.

Deathstroke rocked on his heels as amazement flooded him.

Nightwing. Troia. Cyborg. Raven. Beast Boy. Starfire.

The Teen Titans.

* * *

Author's Note: Again, I have several points which I would like to discuss. Firstly, the mainframe room - yes, Donna Troy (Wonder Girl or Troia, whichever you're most familiar) really _did_ died in that very room. It's up for debate whether her ghost haunts the room...

Secondly, the concept of clone-twins. If cloning ever becomes a reliable reality, I doubt this would ever be possible, but as identical twins have proven, occasionally the zygote could spilt into two. Therefore, identical clone-twins is a distant possiblity. However, Danielle and Caity are a weird case, because they're not identical. The scientists fail to come up with any answer, and so they decided to blame it on Raven's demonic genes.

Thirdly, the NIS technology; it stands for Nanobiotic Immune System. Originally developed for those suffering from HIV and AIDS, the doctors eventually expanded the availability to those with a compromised immune system. As CB-91 (Logan) had formed without an immune system, they added NIS to his body.

Lastly, the Titans' skeletons... I bet you didn't see that coming! Aha! Read on, my dear readers!


	15. Lucy Saves the Day

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, though the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Lucy Saves the Day**

Quiet sobs echoed in the dark, cold fungi-ridden cell.

One of the many beings shifted, and a cold, high voice rang out: "CS-54 begs the primary clones to be _silent,_ unless she should become angry with them and force them to silence themselves."

An angry voice replied, "_Don't_ be mean to Danielle and Caity! If you do that again, I'll... I'll..." The tiny boy halted for a moment before continuing, "...Or I'll shut your mouth for you!" He rose a quavering fist and waved it threateningly towards the eight monstrous clones.

His enormous brother laid his heavy hand on Logan's shoulder, and the boy clamped his mouth shut, though he continued to glower toward CS-54. SB-47 warbled through her fanged mouth for a moment before asking,

"Who are Danielle and Caity? I am not familiar with those names."

Logan blinked, but before he could open his mouth and possibly anger some of the clones, Rich cut in: "Our sisters... them. Their names are Danielle and Caity," He pointed at the twins as he spoke.

CN-5 shook his large head. "Incorrect. Danielle and Caity are not names."

Rich's eyes widened as he began to gesture at himself and his siblings. "But - but they are! My name is Rich, and they're Will and Logan!"

The stammering teenager was cut off by SN-23, who sniggered. "They are not names! No, your name is NT-37! See? It says so on your arm!"

The boy in question frowned and quickly covered the offending idenfication number with his opposite hand. CR-70 rose her head as she peered towards Danielle and Caity. "SB-47, their names are SR-110 and SR-112."

Danielle scowled. "_No!_ My name is _Danielle,_ and she is _Caity!_" She was not done, however, as she gestured toward her three brothers. "And they are Rich, Will, and Logan! We have _names!_"

NR-130 narrowed her four luminous blue eyes. "_Your_ names are on your arms! NT-37, CB-91, CB-104, SR-110, and SR-112! That is _that!_" She pointed violently toward Danielle, whose eyes had begun to glow dangerously green.

"Quiet!" The wheezing voice rose out of BR-13. The clones - both named and unnamed - swiftly sat down; they were near to flat-out brawling. "You..." BR-13 glared at his seven fellow mutants. "Are... BAD clones! They... are... our BROthers and... sisTERS! Why... you fight? That... NOT good thing... TO DO!"

The poor clone paused for a moment as he coughed and hacked. Regaining his breath, he continued, "And... YOU!" He turned toward the five teenagers, who stared at him with alarm. "What... those NAMES... mean? They... are... NOTHING to... us!"

Caity blinked her three eyes sadly at BR-13 when he collapsed in a fit of violent coughing. BR-13's fellow unnamed clones quickly gathered around him, and glared at the primary clones, as if daring them to attack or mock BR-13. Danielle and Logan shared a wide-eye glance as Rich frowned. It was Will who answered.

"Our names..." He hesistated, unsure as how to explain. "Mama... gave them to us. Mama says we all have a name - a _human_ name, not letters and numbers." He glanced at his brothers and sisters. "Mama says... that when we have names... we know who we are, and we... start to exist."

Tension quickly mounted in the tiny cell as the two groups - the five named human clones and the eight unnamed bestial clones - stared at each other across the room. At last BN-66 piped up, "But... we're clones. We don't get names. Why do you? You are clones, too."

Will blinked, clearly taken back by the question. Logan lowered his pointed ears, and Rich frowned. Caity's gaze shifted to the ground, and Danielle straightened up as she opened her mouth. "Mama says that as long as we have souls, we're not animals. It doesn't matter if we're clones or not. We're still like them. We're still humans. We just... were born in a different way."

Caity glanced up and nodded. "I..." She blushed slightly as twelve pairs of eyes snapped to her. "I... I... _feel_ something... from all people," she cleared her throat before adding, "And... I know Danielle feels it too." She paused, and met BR-13's eyes. "I... feel that... you feel them, too, BR-13... CR-70... and NR-130."

Caity fell silent for a moment as she frowned, struggling to place the concept into words. "I... don't know what it is, but... all people have it. I... think that's our..." She stopped again, and her brows furrowed. "I don't know... I - I just can feel something from them all!" She exclaimed, clearly frustated by her inablitiy to explain what it was.

Danielle, however, widened her eyes. "Oh! Yes! I noticed that, too! It's like... their..." She halted, stumbled by the concept just like Caity was. "Um, what is it? It... it's like..." She floundered for a moment. "Uh... it's _us?_ It's..."

She trailed off, clearly lost. CR-70 and NR-130 stared at the twins, confusion etched on their faces as well. The non-Raven clones shared a glance, clearly baffled by this odd exchange. BR-13, however, broke free from his siblings and carefully made his way to Caity.

"I... know what... THAT is!" Knowing that he had grabbed all attention, he continued. "What... we FEEL are... their..." He wheezed for a moment before finishing, "SOULS!" He sat down beside Caity. "That... are their... SOULS... and... we have... thEM too!" He halted as he coughed.

However, Logan cut in: "Whoa! You can _feel_ souls? Wow!" He stared at his two sisters with newfound admiration. Judging from others' expressions, it was clear that all other clones were also impressed.

Then a thought occured to him, and Rich grinned as he nodded. "Yes! Mama says that's why we get names! We're human!" Danielle beamed at the unnamed clones, however they still looked troubled with the idea.

"But..." SB-47 began, and heads swirled toward her. "We don't have names," she finished, her face forlon. Logan's ears lowered for a moment before they snapped back up.

"Mama could give you names!"

His siblings quickly agreed to this fanastic idea; however the monstrous clones shared a nervous glance and muttered amongst themselves. "Is... that a good idea? Do... we truly need names?" CS-54's high, cold voice rose out of the rabble.

Danielle's eyes widened. "Yes! You need names!"

Will nodded as he added, "You're our brothers and sisters! We want you to have names!" Logan flashed a sparkling grin at the eight clones as Rich voiced his agreement. Caity glanced shyly at BR-13 next to her before looking away at the ground.

However, the clones' glee were abruptly broken when the door was flung open; light flooded the cell, blinding the occupants. When their sight cleared, they were met by the man in the purple robe; the five teenagers - Rich, Will, Logan, Danielle and Caity - gulped and scooted backwards into the furthest wall. Their mutated siblings crowded around them, glaring definatly at the HIVE representative.

The man stared vilefully back, then stepped inside, and shut the door close, plunging the room into darkness.

* * *

Deathstroke stared disbelievingly at the dead Titans before him. Several long moments passed before he was able to gather himself; shaking his head, he rose and began to step out of the nook, however he paused upon catching a glimmer from within Raven's cloak.

Narrowing his eye, he extended his staff and lifted the cloak to reveal the body beneath - there was a large hole in the ribcage, where something had pierced Raven. Deathstroke frowned as his eye followed Raven's arms down to her hands, and blinked in surprise.

Raven's rings were still on her fingers.

Holding back a snort, Deathstroke realized that the HIVE had no knowledge of the rings' immense importance and hadn't bothered to remove them - or even more possibly, the guards refused to touch the dead demon, and therefore hadn't searched her, so the rings went unnoticed.

How foruntate for him.

He reached out and carefully touched one of the rings - a brilliant flash of light that left him reeling, a chilling roar like a hurricane wind, and something savagely mauling at his mind - and he abruptly yanked back his hand, panting and staring wide-eyed at the seemingly innocent gold-and-ruby ring.

Only then did he remembered something his son once told him long ago about those rings. What had Joseph said? Ah, yes... apparently, those rings once belonged to Raven's mentor, Azar. Joseph had told him about how Raven claimed that Azar still lived in those rings, and guided her. While Deathstroke doubted that to be true, there certainly was a lot of power in those rings, and Joseph had told him of the vital role those rings played in Trigon's defeat.

Perhaps... Deathstroke crouched down, and stared at the rings, thoughtfully stroking his chin. He had been unforuntate enough to be at the recieving end of Raven's soul-self attacks before, while she had been under demonic influence, and what he had experienced was similar to what had happened when he touched the ring.

Was it possible that _something_ of Raven herself remained in those rings? Was that what attacked him?

A long moment passed as Deathstroke pondered his choices. While he strongly doubted the claim that Azar's spirit still existed within those rings - also, the very idea of Raven's soul also being linked to the rings was absurd - and while it was highly likely that she_ had_ left behind a trap, one thing remained the same regardless.

Those rings once belonged to Raven, and now they rightfully belonged to her heirs: Danielle and Caity.

The masked man nodded, satisified with the solution; he would retrieve the rings and pass them along to the girls. However... he hesistated. Not terribly eager to touch those rings again, he opened one of the many pouches on his belt and withdrew a small pair of tongs.

Carefully removing the rings from the skeletal fingers and placing them into a plastic bag before securing them into his belt, Deathstroke glanced at the dead empath's face - or lack thereof - and shuddered. Even now, three hundred years later, that hood still cast the eternal, impenetrable shadow upon her face.

Shaking his head to clear the cloudy thoughts, Deathstroke stood up and quickly exited the cranny with great relief. He shoved the door close with a small, odd twinge of regret; the Titans deserved a proper burial. He could do nothing at the moment so he made his way out of the room.

He flicked the light off and closed the door; he strode down the hallway, resolutely ignoring the shiver that ran down his spine and the bile that rose in his throat.

This whole damn base was a graveyard.

* * *

"Clones, be silent!" The man in the purple robe's voice rang out with commanding authority. The thirteen occupants stopped clamouring and waited. The man sneered - though nobody could see it in the dark - and continued, "Deathstroke is loose in this base. Clones, you are to locate and retrieve him before he causes irreversible harm."

Then the man opened the door and stepped outside; he motioned for the clones to follow him out. "NT-37, CB-91, CB-104, SR-110, and SR-112, you are to remain with me and the guards; you cannot - and will not - be allowed free lease until you are obedient. You other clones, go!"

BR-13 flinched, however he shuffled out of the room with the seven other clones; the five teenagers scowled at the man in the purple robe as he raised a small handheld communicator to his mouth. "Send ten guards to Sector Nine, Cell Twenty-Nine. Repeat, send ten guards to Sector Nine, Cell Twenty-Nine."

The man lowered his communicator and glared at the clones before him. "Do you not hear me? _Go!_ Locate Deathstroke and retrieve him!" He even aimed a kick at BR-13, who flinched and retreated behind SB-47 and BN-66, who growled at the HIVE representative. The other clones - both named and unnamed - glared witheringly at the man as well. To his credit, he didn't flinch under the stares he was recieving; indeed, he settled for glowering back at the clones.

Such annoying creatures. He had to enforce their loyalty... or get rid of them.

* * *

"Hurry!" Lucy hollered toward Mark, who was huffing and panting behind her.

He grunted, "You know that I was never good at running! _You_ slow down!"

His sister rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored him. "We gotta hurry - remember how Ah said that everybody went ter the center t' report ta the Seven? Well, normally that takes 'bout thirty minutes, because the base's so big, an' we now have only 'bout five minutes t' get back ta Momma!"

"Okay, okay! I'm going as fast as I can!" Mark panted as he, with great effort, drew up to Lucy; both were tearing down the corridors, taking left and right turns when needed.

Swiftly, they took a right turn and skidded to a halt. "Wha...?" Lucy gasped as she took in the sight before them; Mark, meanwhile, had doubled up, wheezing and clutching at his sides.

The man in the purple robe stared, dumbstruck, at the duo, and the eight bestial clones blinked curiously. Rich, however, immediately clapped his hands over Danielle's and Will's mouths - Caity and Logan were out of his reach, however the girl had understood Rich's action. Caity began to stretch out her hand to Logan, but before she could silence him, the tiny boy squealed out,

"Lucy! Mark!"

The robed man snapped his head in Logan's direction before shifting his gaze back to Lucy. "What... what?" Lucy stared back, utterly lost. Mark was finally able to stand up, though he was still panting.

Rich winced at Logan's voice, and Danielle and Will immediately understood what was happening; they hurried forward with Caity in a vain attempt to silence Logan. The excited boy had hopped forward, practically bouncing with happiness. "You're here! You're here! You'll save us!"

The robed man gaped at Lucy; it took several seconds for him to find his voice. "You... you're familiar with those clones?"

The redhead winced, and Logan - yet again dancing out of the reach of his siblings - gleefully answered, "Yes! She and Mark and Mama's our family! They gave us names and are here to save us!"

Mark's eyes widened as he fruitlessly glanced at the back of Lucy's head. The woman in question's face hardened; she was clearly thinking fast. The man in the purple robe, however, had heard enough and finally regained his senses.

"_Wait._ We were under the impression that you were merely acquaintances with Marcy Miller and Mark Kim, much less know the clones." He glared at Lucy, who scowled back. Mark gulped and shot a stern glance in Logan's direction. The tiny boy finally stopped, confusion settling in his face as his siblings caught up to him and forcefully clapped their hands over his mouth.

Muffled by four different hands, Logan couldn't speak or cause more harm, however the man in the purple robe sneered. "Well, well. Hmm. This is quite an interesting twist," he suddenly grinned. "I _can't_ wait to report this to the Seven - you were always a bitch."

At the insult, Mark snapped. "Hey! _Don't_ call my sister that!" He leapt forward, though Lucy grabbed him and, grunting with effort, managed to yank him back and away from the robed man.

"_Sister?_" The man in the purple robe's voice rang out in the corridor; he stared flabbergasted at Lucy, who fidgeted - she was completely, utterly trapped. Mark had calmed down and was slowly inching away from Lucy; he knew her far too well - it was only a matter of time before she lost her cool.

"...Marcy Miller's mah momma, an' Markie's mah brother," she finally answered as she drew up and glared into the cloaked man's eyes. "Got a bone ter pick with that?"

The HIVE representative grinned nastily. "Oh, no, no, no. Quite the opposite, this is quite a fantastic piece of news. You see, Miss Savage, right now, ten guards are on their way here." He chuckled. "Meanwhile, I think I'll contact the Seven and inform them that I have discovered a traitor." True to his word, he lifted the handheld radio to his mouth - and Lucy moved.

Swifter than what was thought possible for her, Lucy reached into her belt and withdrew her faithful pipe wrench. The thirteen clones and Mark watched, awestrucken, as the wrench spun in a graceful arc through the air before striking the robed man squarely on the back of the head.

He went down faster than one could say "Watch out!" - not that they would have. The small communicator clattered out of his hand and skidded down the hallway; Lucy stepped on it, smashing the device. Then she calmly made her way over to the unconicious man to pick up the pipe wrench and tuck it into her belt.

She then stood up and glanced at the fourteen witnesses. "Well, what'a y'all waitin' fer? We gotta _move!_" She rushed past Mark, who quickly followed. Logan, Will, and Danielle sprinted down the corridor and caught up with the duo; Caity, meanwhile, halted and stared back at Rich, who hadn't moved.

Mark glanced back, and stopped. "Rich? Caity? What are you waiting for? Come on!" Caity moved her gaze from Rich to Mark, and then shifted her eyes to Rich again; the boy in question was frowning. Lucy had stopped as well, and sighed in frustation. Logan, Will, and Danielle began to jog back toward Caity and Rich.

"We gotta go!" Lucy urgely called toward the five teenagers, however Rich refused to move. "Rich! Momma's waitin' fer y'all! C'mon!"

"Not without them!" His voice echoed in the hallway; Mark and Lucy settled their gazes on the eight unnamed clones who were still standing, observing. The duo shared a glance, and Rich continued, "They're our brothers and sisters. I'm not leaving without them!"

Lucy huffed, though she nodded 'yes' and bolted down the hallway. Mark's eyes widened as he began to call out, "Lucy - wait, this isn't such a great idea - " and chased her.

Danielle squealed and grabbed Caity's arm; the twins quickly followed Lucy and Mark. Will hauled Logan along with him, and Rich hurried to usher the eight mutants, who were slow to join the group. "You'll meet Mama, and she'll give you names!"

With his continous reassurances ("Mama's real nice - she'll love you all! - we'll be family!"), the eight clones slowly began to warm up to the idea that they were truly free; at a last call of "_Hurry up!_" from the impatient redhead, the thirteen clones followed Lucy and Mark out of the corridor.

* * *

Author's Note: Yes, the man in the purple robes had it coming.

That discussion about the Raven clones sensing souls - quite naturally, they would have inherited Raven's empathy. Raven's empathic abilities _is_ her main shtick, after all, and the one which comes easiest to her. However, the clones doesn't know this; only BR-13 had any inkling, and that's only because he was frozen for centuries, listening and learning.

I really hope you enjoyed the chapter, my dear readers! Carry on!


	16. Family Reunion

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, but the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Family Reunion**

Deathstroke crouched for a moment, observing the smooth prints on the floor. Then he stood up, and turned left. Striding down the hallway, he glanced down every once in a while to affirm that he was indeed going in the right direction.

The goons really ought to clean up these hallways, he mused as he stopped before a door. Sliding his hand over the control panel, the door slid open albeit with much creaking; like everything else in this portion of the undersea base, it had long since rusted.

Deathstroke raised an eyebrow as he took in his surroundings; numerous steel tentacles hung limply from the ceiling: broken machinery littered the floor. He made his way across the room, and glanced up. The center of the mechanical vines were completely shattered - whoever had done this did an impressive job. Deathstroke would've loved to shake hands with the person who had destroyed one of the HIVE's many annoying weapons.

Lowering his eye, he confirmed that the tracks led to the other door, and he entered it. Yet another hallway met him, and he cautiously made his way through it. Then, he paused. The tracks had stopped, and turned back upon itself. Swearing silently, Deathstroke realized that the tracks were perfectly circular; it was a robot. He couldn't spot whether the tracks backtracked upon itself until it was too late.

Holding back the mounting frustation, Deathstroke peered at the heavily enforced door before him. Why did the robot turn back? A glance at the control panel answered his question; something had smashed it beyond repair. He blinked in mild surprise - it was quite odd that the HIVE would leave such things unfixed, however he realized at the damage was quite old; it was possible that at the time the control panel was broken, the HIVE simply didn't have the technology to repair it, and once the agenda finally did obtain such technology, this area had already been abandoned.

Snorting, Deathstroke withdrew a small torch from his belt and began to work on the door. This era's technology, truly, never failed to amaze him; he could now fine-tune the torch so that it extended several feet ahead, which was more than enough to penetrate the door.

After several moments' worth of labor, Deathstroke stepped back and lightly shoved at the door. It fell forward with a thud that sent dust billowing, and the masked man followed through the doorway.

A large screen met his eye; he soon realized that, by sheer luck, he had found his way to the mainframe. Deathstroke allowed himself a smirk as he activated the computer, and after opening a map of the base, he quickly located the cell the Titans were held in - he had a suspicion that Lucy would be there along with the Titans.

After he found them, he could go and break the clones free.

All in a day's work.

* * *

Mama sighed. Her sister glanced at her. "Marcy?"

"Hmm?"

Frost Queen hesistated for a moment before asking, "Do... do y'think we can get out o' here without her - " She nodded toward the battered winged woman lying on the floor front of them. " - dyin'?"

Mama studied Frost Queen sternly before replying, "Why do ya care, Barbara?"

The elderly villian glanced behind her; Psy was sitting with Rapid - the speedster had finally awakened. "Because o' Jon, Marcy. Ya knows how much he likes her."

The old woman was silent; she knew that Frost Queen was right. Mama closed her eyes for a moment as she retreated into her memories: memories of happier days long since gone. Days with her parents when they were still alive. Days with her sister before their relationship soured. Days with her brother before he vanished. The very last day with him... a memory resurfaced suddenly, and Mama opened her eyes.

"Barbara..." Frost Queen peered at Mama curiously. "I never told ya this, an' I always regretted it." The villian frowned slightly, though she waited patiently. "Jon made me promise ter not tell ya - he wanted ta tell ya hisself."

Mama tossed a small glance in Psy's direction before explaining, "The day he disappeared, Jon came an' told me he was plannin' ter propose ta Hansika."

Frost Queen's eyes widened, and she rocked slightly; her mouth opened and closed like a fish. "H-he was plannin' ta do _that?_" Mama nodded. "I - I - I knew th-that Jon liked Hansika, but I never knew that he was gonna marry her!"

"I don't think he proposed."

Any small bubbling joy Frost Queen may had was abruptly, rudely burst by Mama's matter-of-fact tone. "Ya don't think he did?"

The old woman shook her head. "Jon came ter me with the news only a few hours before he disappeared, an' he told me that he wanted ter tell ya before he did propose. An' I figured that because he never got ter tell ya, he ain't asked her yet."

The two elderly sisters were silent as they pondered their separate thoughts. Then Frost Queen took stole another glance at Psy before whispering to Mama, "Tha' must be why he's _so_ down."

A glimspe of Psy confirmed Frost Queen's observation; the telepath was morosely staring at the ground, ignoring Rapid's attempts to grab his attention. Mama's shoulders slumped as she returned her attention to Healer; blood had begun to seep through her bandages - time to change them. Again.

As the two women tended to Healer, Rapid was having little luck of lifting Psy's spirits. "Jon? Hey, don't worry, Jon! Hansika'll be fine - your sisters' working on her, and you know how they always _shock_ people!" After chuckling weakly at his feeble joke, Rapid groaned.

"_Jon!_ Wake up, you idiot!" Psy, finally, moved his eyes from the ground to glare at the speedster. Rapid opened his mouth, however Psy cut in with a much more forceful-than-necessary telepathic message.

"_What is it, Jay? Y' been botherin' me fer hours now!_" Rapid frowned - it certainly was not hours as Psy had claimed - and again opened his mouth, but Psy bulldozed over him. "_Fine. Fine. If ya wanna talk ter me that badly, at least talk in private!_"

Rapid blinked, though he nodded. Soon, his thoughts entered Psy's mind. _O-o-okay, Jon. What's the matter with you?_

Psy scowled, though he said nothing. Rapid wasn't about to give up so easily, though. _Jon..._ Psy blinked - Rapid's tone was surprisingly soft. _You aren't helping Hansika by moping around._

"_Whatever do ya mean by that?_"

Rapid threw him a look that clearly stated his doubts about Psy's intelligence. _You know perfectly well what I mean! Before we got deep-frozen for thirty years, you told me you was going to propose -_

"_Stop that!_" The speedster paused for a moment, though he knew that it was not the right course of action. Ignoring Psy's plea, he continued,

_You wanted - and I know you still do - to marry her!_

At this statement, Psy glowered at Rapid, who definatly glared back. "_I wasn't thinkin' right back then. It ain't gonna happen._"

Rapid shook his head. _Jon, that's a_ _big stinking heap of crap, and you know it._ Seeing the determination setting in Psy's face, Rapid hurried to add in,_ Have you ever seen the way Hansika looks at you?_

There was no response from Psy. Rapid, sensing clearance, barreled on: _She loves you, Jon. Even_ I _could see that - and you know how dense I am when it comes to things like that!_ Rapid finally succeeded in drawing out a small smile from Psy. _Jon... you could either sit here and moan about your crazy ideas that she doesn't like you, or you could go over and sit with her._

Jon snorted. "_Sit with her? Jay, she's unconicious. She wouldn't even know I was there!_"

Rapid, again, displayed his legendary stubborness as he rolled his eyes._ Blockhead, it'll do_ you _some good! And you two have that bond, remember? She'll know if you're with her! I bet it'll help her to pull through!_

Silence rang for a moment as Psy brooded over Rapid's words. Then the telepath glanced at Rapid. "._..Yeah, mebbe yer right. Mebbe... it would do me some good, an' her, too,_" He stood up, and smiled at Rapid. "_Thanks._" With this, he took a few steps toward the women - and paused.

"_Jay?_"

"Yeah?" Rapid answered with his voice.

Psy turned around and frowned slightly at Rapid, who blinked in surprise. "_What do ya mean, the way Hansika looks at me?_"

Rapid grinned with delight as he eagerly responded in sing-song, "Oooh, she wants you! She's totally hot for you, you _ma-a-a-nly_ hunk! She loooveees you, she loooveees you, she _loooveees_ you! Jon and Hansika sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I - "

The speedster's modest song was cut off when Psy shoved him into the ground.

"_Shut up, speedie._"

Rapid's face glowed red as he scambled to his feet. "It's _not_ speedie, as you _know_ damn well!"

Psy chuckled as he jogged away from the spluttering Titan.

"_Oh, don't worry, speedie. I'm sure Lucy likes the name._"

The telepath grinned when he heard a distinctive choking noise behind him. Oh, how he loved to push his friend's buttons.

* * *

"There! We're almost there - " Mark managed to get a breath to shout as he pointed out the door to the cell where the Titans were awaiting them. " - legs, don't fail me now!"

Lucy rolled her eyes, but held back a snort as she easily, effortlessly, outpaced her panting brother. The thirteen clones increased their stride to keep up; they too overtook Mark. If Mark wasn't so tired, he would have made a face at Lucy, but even that would take far too much energy.

The redheaded woman skidded to a halt, or attempted to, and crashed into the door. After a moment of fumbling with her keys and the door handle, she managed to yank it open just in time for the clones to bolt inside; Mark had stopped running several feet away and was doubled up, wheezing.

Scoffing, Lucy grabbed him and shoved him inside, shutting the door after them. As soon as the door was closed, the duo found themselves being enveloped by a weeping Mama, who was also embracing her five clones. Frost Queen and Psy glanced at them before returning their attention to the still unconscious Healer; Psy was holding her hand.

Rapid rose to his feet and made his way over to Lucy. Soon, the couple was whispering to each other as Mama turned her attention to the eight mutants. "Dearies, who they be?"

Danielle quickly answered, "Our brothers and sisters!"

Mama smiled uncertainly at the girl before returning her attention to the monstrous clones, who were fidgeting nervously. "Is that so?" Hesistating for a spilt second, she quickly shared a warm, welcoming smile with them. "Oh, it's so nice ter meet y'all!"

While Mama was speaking with the clones, Mark, Lucy, and Rapid joined Psy and Frost Queen; they shared a worried glance - Healer was looking so much worse than she had when Lucy and Mark departed on their mission. They needed to get out, and fast - otherwise, she would not survive.

Mama sat down; her five children quickly followed suit - Danielle and Will won the honor of sitting at her sides after a minor scuffle; Logan cleverly sat on Mama's lap - and after encouragement, the remaining clones lowered themselves to the floor in a semicircle.

"My name be Mama! What's yer name?" She introduced herself before turning her attention to the clone next to Rich (who was sitting by Danielle): SB-47. The clone with the large, fanged mouth warbled for a moment as she pondered her answer.

"My name... is SB-47," She answered, glancing cautiously at Mama. The elderly woman merely smiled and moved on to the next clone. BN-66 blinked, startled, when the attention turned upon himself.

Gulping nervously, he shared his name: "I'm... BN-66."

Logan beamed at the two Beast Boy clones as Mama glanced at one of the cybernetic clones; CN-5. "I... my name is CN-5." He nodded, satisifed with his reply as Mama moved down the line.

"I... I... I..." CR-70 fidgeted; it was obvious that she had the same shyness that plagued Caity. "A-a-am... CR-70," She concluded in a small, meek tone. Mama gave her one of the warmest grins she could muster, and CR-70 timidly smiled back.

The next clone was nearly as shy; after slight stammering, NR-130 managed to introduce herself. "My... name is... NR-130."

Next, in a drastic contrast of the two Raven clones, SN-23 was definitely not shy; he proclaimed, "I'm SN-23!"

Mama beamed at SN-23's spirit as she moved her attention to the two last clones; CS-54, like SN-23, was not shy. Her high, cold voice sent a slight chill down Mama's spine, however the woman wisely showed nothing. "I am known as CS-54."

Upon catching a glimspe of the truly monstrous BR-13, who was sitting next to Caity (right by Will), Mama had to struggle to keep herself composed, a task not improved by the sight of the clone's twisted face. He wheezed, and coughed out, "I... I... am... BR-13!"

Unable to keep the alarm from showing on her face, Mama swiftly shifted her gaze in the other way, so the clones wouldn't see her expression. Her eyes landed upon Healer, and she let loose a small groan.

Rich, catching the noise, glanced behind himself and gasped upon the sight. "Mama! What happened?"

Not waiting for an answer, the boy hurried to the winged woman's side, closely followed by Danielle, Logan, Will, and Caity. The eight clones remained behind, unsure as to what to do. Mama climbed to her feet, ignoring her joints' protest, and explained, "They... tried ta get her ter tell 'em 'bout y'all, an' she wouldn't. That made 'em mad, so they... hurt her."

The eight monstrous clones stared with curiosity as tears flooded their five siblings' eyes. SB-47 whispered to her fellow mutants, "Why are they so sad?" The others shrugged, though BR-13 clambered to his feet and lumbered toward the group. His brothers and sisters, ever so protective of him, quickly followed.

When they reached the crowd surrounding Healer, BR-13 hesistated, and the other mutants did the same. Caity glanced behind her, blinking her three eyes at them. Danielle's lips trembled as she clutched at Logan while staring at Healer; the tiny boy's ears were drooping. Will's face was stotic, and Rich had lowered his gaze to the ground. Frost Queen, Psy, and Rapid, however, shot an alarmed look at the monstrous clones.

Mama spared a brief glance at the eight unnamed clones before muttering to the adults, "The dearies thinks they're okay, an' that's okay with me. I trust my kiddies." Frost Queen threw a dubious glare at Mama, though the old villain did nothing more.

"What... WRRRong with... HER?" BR-13's wheezing, hacking voice rose out of the clone. Rapid's face melted into faint disgust as Psy took on a wary expression; Lucy and Mark shared a shocked glance, and Frost Queen raised her eyebrows. Mama, meanwhile, glanced tenderly at BR-13; already, her heart was softening for the poor boy.

"She's hurt... bad, an' we're worried... that she might not pull through," she finished, glancing sadly at the beaten Healer lying in the midst of all the onlookers; she tried to meet Psy's eyes, but he refused to glance at anybody other than the winged woman.

Logan's eyes widened as he whimpered, "What do you mean, Mama, she won't pull through?" Mama gave him a sad gaze before pulling the tiny boy in a hug.

"Dearie..." She heaved a painful sigh, "She might... die."

Mama's last word echoed ominiously in the room: Rapid blinked away his tears; Mark and Lucy both dropped their gazes to the ground; Frost Queen laid a hand on Psy's shoulder as he tightened his hold on Healer's hand; Danielle gasped and grabbed Caity tightly; Rich gulped, and Will closed his eyes; Logan buried his head in Mama's stomach; the bestial clones stepped backward, but BR-13 drew near to Healer.

"I... help!" At his words, every head snapped toward BR-13, who had knelt down at Healer's side. He rose his head, and his four black eyes met Caity's three red-and-green eyes. "I... feel that... you all... LOVE her! Because... I FEEL that... I... want HELP... her!" As he spoke, he shifted his gaze to the others present; he lingered on Danielle, Logan, Will, and Rich before moving to Mama.

BR-13 coughed violently for a moment before continuing, "Me... a... RAVEN clone! I... CAN help!" Tearing his gaze away from Mama, BR-13 glanced at Rapid before meeting Lucy, Mark, and Frost Queen's astounded stares. "I... feel... her HURT! Hurts me TOO!" Then, last of all, he locked gaze with Psy. "I heal her! I... make her betTER!"

Psy's eyes widened in shock as BR-13 carefully, gently reached out with his mind - the two souls touched, and the telepath sensed the clone's geninue spirit. Psy, however, then shut his eyes and severed the link - for it was far too much, the clone's mind was so _alien_ - between the two; it was silent for several moments, broken by Psy's panting.

Finally, his eyes opened and he glanced back at BR-13. Then, he nodded. "_Do it, boy. Please... don't let her die._"

BR-13 shook his head. "I will... NOT!" With this declaration, the clone crept forward nearer to Healer, and took her free hand into his own twisted ones. After a brief glance at Psy, BR-13 also carefully pried Healer's other hand out of Psy's.

Silently and somberly, Psy stood up and backed away. The others did the same; BR-13 was left alone with Healer as the clone closed his four black eyes. Rapid stifled a gasp as Mark's eyes widened and Lucy dropped her mouth - a shimmering shell of engery had began to crackle around BR-13. Frost Queen stepped back, awe eteched on her face, and Mama drew her five teenagers in close around her. The seven mutant clones watched their brother intensely.

Then with a cry, a shadowy form tore free from BR-13's form, and it hovered above the duo; then, before the astounded eyes of the onlookers, the wounds began to vanish from Healer's body! So intent they were with the disappearing injuries, nobody - except Rich - noticed that the same hurts appeared on BR-13 himself. The clone groaned and twitched, however he didn't let go of Healer's hands.

After a long moment, the shadow shimmered faintly before fading back into BR-13's form; the clone slumped to the floor, unconicious but free of the wounds he had drawn from the Titan, and Healer let loose a small moan, however she still slept. Psy was immediately by her side, followed closely by Rapid, Mark, and Frost Queen. The elderly villain inspected the winged woman and announced, "She'll live!"

Lucy hollered and hugged Mama tightly as Logan, Danielle, and Will leapt into a group hug; Rich grinned happily at the seven monstrous clones, who all looked delighted, and Caity went over to BR-13. She gingerly touched his back, and slowly he began to stir. Climbing shakily to his feet, aided by Caity and Danielle, who had quickly joined her twin, BR-13 glanced at the mob surrounding Healer.

"She... okay? I... help her?" Psy's gleeful face met his and his telepathic voice blasted out,

"_Yes! She'll live! She'll be fine! Thank you so much!_" At this, the Titan returned attention to the woman he loved as the others continued their celebration - even though they were still in the heart of the HIVE base, they could not help it; Healer would live!

It was exceedingly painful, BR-13 reflected, using his healing powers. He had never done such a feat, and surrounded by all those people with their overwhelming emotions. It was, almost, too much to bear, yet it was not. Indeed... it might have hurt, but he had done good and they - the Titans, the primary clones and their family - were grateful; he no longer felt fear and alarm from any of them towards him.

And BR-13 smiled.

* * *

Author's Note: Deathstroke had no idea the Titans we know had treaded the same path he did - Cyborg had destroyed those mechanical vines, and Troia smashed that door's control pad. But as we know, the Titans did enough damage that the HIVE never used that section of base again, other than to deposit bodies in their little makeshift graveyard (the first corpses to be tossed there? The Titans).

Concerning BR-13... remember what I said in the previous author's note about Raven's empathy being her shtick? I must admit, I lied. Her empathy _and_ her healing is her shtick. However, while all the Raven clones would inherit at least some degree of her empathy, not all of them would be powerful enough to heal. Luckily for Hansika, though, BR-13 is.

I hope you're enjoying the story, my dear readers! Please continue!


	17. Dead in the Graveyard

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, though the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Dead in the Graveyard**

After downloading the map of the base onto his Swiss Army knife (when they first began producing Swiss Army knives with small screens capable of performing some computer functions, Deathstroke had thought it highly absurd; now, however, he found it useful for storing maps) from the mainframe, the masked man turned to step toward the leftmost door, but paused briefly upon hearing the sound of uneven footsteps.

Deathstroke immediately shot his ascension gun upwards to the rafters and pulled himself up; he crouched on it for a moment, staring at the door. Nothing came. Possibly the sound had come from somebody merely passing by. He snorted, and crawled forward on the rafters, squeezing through the small hole that allowed the catwalks through.

As soon as he entered the hallway, he immediately spotted the offender; the purple-robed man was stumbling hazardly down the corridor. His curiousity compelled Deathstroke to follow, and so he did. The robed man stopped halfway down the tunnel, and pressed against the wall.

The merchant blinked in mild surprise when a secret door opened; the HIVE had become experts at hiding entrances, he mused. However, after the purple-robed man entered it, the door didn't shut, and Deathstroke suddenly had a hunch that there were something very important beyond that door.

Latching his grappling hook on the edge of the rafters, Deathstroke swiftly lowered himself to the floor and carefully made his way toward the door. He peeked around it, and there was nobody in sight; he stepped through, and noticed a control panel to the side - that explained why the door remained open: the cloaked man had forgotten to close it. Deathstroke snorted, and pressed it; the door closed smoothly.

Glancing up, he observed that there were no rafters, and as he took in his surroundings, the hallway itself was fairly narrow. Interesting. Deathstroke would gladly have bet money that numerous other henchmen had no idea that this corridor even existed.

The masked man hurried down the tunnel, though by no means was his guard ever let down, and paused when he reached the lone door at the end of the hallway. Clearly, the HIVE representative had gone through it; there were no other exits or entrances (after seeing that secret door, Deathstroke made sure to keep an eye out for any more secret doors - despite the technology advances, the merchant could still spot them). Deathstroke paused for a second before pressing his ear against the door.

He heard nothing, but he wasn't going to open the door unprepared; he hoisted up his staff, crouched down slightly, ready to leap if needed be, and then ran his hand over the control panel.

The door smoothly slid out of the way; Deathstroke's eye widened slightly - he had stumbled accross the base's power center. Glancing at the large machines pumping away in the center of the spacious room, he held back a snort. It looked as though this was the base's only source of power. How idiotic.

A movement caught his eye; the corner of the man in the purple robe's cloak had fluttered around the leftmost machine, just behind its controls. Deathstroke narrowed his eye and crept toward it - straining his neck forward, he saw the man clutching at his head.

"Headache? You ought take some Advil - oh wait, they stopped making those. Such a pity; they were effective pain-killers."

The robed man gasped, swirled around, and leapt back upon seeing Deathstroke. "You!"

The merchant nodded. "Me."

"What are you doing here!?" The cloaked man lamented as he slowly inched sideways.

Deathstroke held back a snort. "Oh, I'm on an errand," he replied casually as he suddenly struck forward with his staff - it halted, quivering, at the purple-robed man's side, effectively halting his path. "Leaving already? Pity. We were having such a good conversation."

The cloaked man glared at Deathstroke as he spat, "Why have you released those clones from the test tubes? That was out of your contract!"

Deathstroke rolled his eye as he answered, "I'm a merchant. I work for money. Therefore, someone paid me _more_ than you. I take contacts from just about anyone - I make it a point to avoid connections and politics."

He paused and, upon seeing the robed man rubbing at his head, asked: "I'm rather curious; what happened to your head?"

The HIVE representative glared as he snarled out, "_That_ Lucy Savage hit me with her pipe wrench! A _pipe wrench!_"

Deathstroke had to fight to not chuckle. He had heard rumors of the woman's weapon. "Ah, I see," He nodded as he spoke, "As I advised previously, please feel free to take a few painkillers. I think I'll take a look around."

The merchant stepped back, knowing fully well that the HIVE representative would not let him go, and he was proven right when the man in the purple robe snarled and drew out a gun. Deathstroke narrowed his eye as he ducked the bullets, swiftly sidestepped, and then leapt forward, smacking the cloaked man in his head with the staff; he made sure to whack on the sore spot - he was not disappointed when the man howled and danced away while clutching at his throbbing head.

"Dolt! You idiot!" He cried out, and Deathstroke just stood there, watching the purple-robed man stomping around in pain. How amusing. Then, while the man was still distracted, the merchant hit him again, this time on the back of his knees, and the man crumpled to the ground. Deathstroke was quick to place handcuffes on him, and tie him to one of pillars supporting the machines. "What!?"

"My, is this too tight for you?" Instead of loosening the bonds, Deathstroke tightened them; the cloaked man's breath came out in a hiss. The masked man crouched down - out of the range of the robed man's feet, of course - and drew out a small blaster. He carefully tweaked the setting from Stun to Kill and raised it, aiming it straight at the purple-robed man, who had begun to sweat.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?" He croaked out, and Deathstroke raised an eyebrow.

"What do it looks like? I'm disposing of you," He replied, and began to tighten his finger on the trigger. The HIVE representative cried out,

"W-wait! D-don't you think I at least deserve know why you're _killing_ me?" His voice cracked as he stared fearfully at the weapon's muzzle. Deathstroke lowered it, and was silent for a moment before he opened his mouth.

"Because..." The robed man drew back, shocked at the murderous tone. "I've sworn to destroy the HIVE and I think I'll start with you." Deathstroke raised his gun again, however the cloaked man managed to cry out another,

"Why!"

The merchant paused again, glaring at the quivering man. "Hmm. Perhaps, after you answer a question of my own. The purple-robed man gaped at him, and Deathstroke continued: "I've seen that... delightful little graveyard in the broken-down section. I'm rather curious; what purpose does it serve?"

"Purpose?" A laugh tore itself out of the robed man. "That is our trophy room! That is where we keep our dead enemies, starting with the Teen Titans themselves!" Deathstroke stiffened; his eye glared at the man, who drew back, utterly shocked at the anger in the gaze.

"I see..." His voice was laden with malice. Deathstroke breathed hard through his nose. He closed his eye for a moment before snapping it open; it burned with a ferocious hatred. "You bastards. You _bastards_ - wasn't it enough that you murdered my children and my wife, but to actually_ keep_ their bodies as_ trophies?_" Still trembling violently, Deathstroke rocked back on his heels.

The man in the purple robe stared at him in fear; the merchant raised his gun, but it was lower than before. In respond to the unspoken question, Deathstroke quipped, "I believe I'll let you think on that - oh, and don't worry. You'll die," and shot the cloaked man in his abodmen.

Deathstroke hoisted his blaster and stood up, picking up his discarded staff. Never once glancing at the howling and bleeding robed man, Deathstoke strode toward the exit of the room.

Finally, after three hundred long years, he had begun the avenging of his family. That was a job he would _not_ fail, no matter how long it would take.

* * *

Once Deathstroke had departed the room, the weakened purple-robed man glared spitefully toward the door. Too bad the merchant hadn't thought to silence him; speaking of which... he cleared his throat and called out,

"C-computer!"

The mechincal voice beeped: VOICE AUTHORIZED. ORDERS?

His voice had gone raspy - he was becoming lightheaded from the blood loss; he had only a few moments. The cloaked man managed to croak out, "C-computer, a-a-achieve th-the d-desctruction o-of th-this base..."

He trailed off, choking on his own blood. After spitting out a large wad of blood, he continued, "A-and set th-the timer t-to tw-twenty minutes... a-and, c-computer, th-this order i-is irrevisble. U-understood? "

COMMAND PROCESSED. DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN TWENTY MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

With this, the lights became red and dim. The man in the purple robe groaned as he slumped; however, he managed a devilish grin as he whispered, "Y-you should've k-killed me outright, Deathstroke. Li-like y-your family, w-we will de-destroy you!"

Then the man took in a deep, shuddering breath, and his life fled from him.

* * *

Deathstroke widened his eye upon hearing the computer's message, which was broadcast throughout the entire base, and swore silently. He didn't think that the HIVE would have put a voice-recognizing computer in the power center, and that mistake could cost him.

There was no time to go up to the rafters; he would have to stay on the floor. Deathstroke collapsed his staff, tucked it into his belt, and sprinted off toward the large hallway that would eventually lead to the Titans' cell where he could find them, and hopefully, with the Titans, he could rescue the clones and escape before the base blew up.

Piece of cake.

* * *

After the computer's message rang out in the cell where the Titans, the thirteen clones, Frost Queen, Lucy, Mark, and Mama was hiding, there were a lot of dumbstruck people gaping and staring wide-eyed at each other.

Finally, somebody found his voice; it was Rapid. "...Have a good day?" The speedster turned his head to Lucy. "Since when did the bad guys develop a sense of humor!?"

The redhead shrugged, then she bolted to the door; skidding to a halt, she placed herself in front it and waved her arms until all the occupants of the room - a few had begun to panick - were staring at her. "Stay calm, people! Ah'll lead y'all ter the hanger! Ah'm the manager, remember? Ah got the keys ta the airships! There's a few big enuff fer us all! It's a little less than ten minutes ter git there - we gotta move fast!"

Rapid hurried to Lucy's side and hollered out, "Listen up! You clones - " He pointed at all thirteen. " - stay near Marcy! Mark, go with them and help! Frost Queen, you go with Jon and protect him while he carries Hansika - she's still out. Lucy will lead - she's the only one who knows the way, and I'll take the back!"

As the group began to organize itself, Rapid whispered to Lucy, "Can Marcy move fast? She's old and... well, a bit..." He trailed off, not too eager to insulting Lucy by commenting on Mama's weight. Lucy, however, replied,

"Ah know she's chubby - she cain't move really fast, but yer idea of havin' Markie with her is great. He'll help her, but why are y' puttin' Frost Queen with Psy? She's old, too, an' Psy cain't help her hurry if he's carryin' Healer!" Rapid glanced at the villain and mumbled back,

"Yes, but she's in shape and she's always been faster than Marcy and even Jon when he's on ground - well, that is, when she was younger. Also, she's the best fighter here; I'll likely be busy with protecting the clones and your family, which leaves Jon with her." He grinned crookedly at Lucy. "Family always works the best together, after all. They may fight, but there's nobody who knows them better than their siblings!"

Lucy nodded with a "_true,_" and then pushed at the door; she peeked around it and then cried out, "All clear! People, y'all stay with me!" With this, she scurried out of the cell; the clones were quick to follow, and Mark led Mama by hand outside. Psy had picked up Healer and carefully made his way out of the doorway; Frost Queen had to intervene to stop the woman's wings from banging on the door sills. Rapid followed the group, closing the door as he did so.

Lucy was quick to bolt down the hallway; when she reached the door that led to the next room, she peered around it as the clones caught up while Mark was encouraging Mama - the elderly, overweight woman's joints were protesting the sudden activity. Psy was careful to not go too fast, however, out of Healer's sake; besides, Frost Queen probably couldn't handle the pace, anyway. Rapid had spun around and was walking backward; his head continually swiveled around, looking for any HIVE lackeys.

This process continued for the next several minutes as the group made their way through several corridors and rooms. Rapid had turned around toward the group, and upon catching a wave from Lucy, sped over to her in a half second. "What is it?" He asked as soon as he reached the redhead - she was standing by the door leading to the next hallway.

"Remember how Ah said it would take ten minutes? Ah think it's gonna be 'bout fifteen minutes - Momma an' Frost Queen ain't goin' too fast," A glance at the two panting elderly women confirmed this. "It's gonna be real close. Jay, when we get ter the last hallway, I'll run ahead an' get a ship started."

Rapid nodded, and sprinted off to the back of the group as Lucy opened the door to the next hallway - and cried out in surprise. Upon hearing her cry, the speedster quickly returned, though Lucy wasn't in danger; she was simply startled by the sight of Deathstroke.

The merchant blinked in mild surprise upon the sight of the large group, and then he glanced at Lucy. "Where are you going?"

The woman replied, "We're headin' ter the hangers ta get out o' here." Deathstroke nodded, and as Lucy passed him, followed by the clones, he glanced at the huffing Mama and snorted. Before anybody could react, Deathstroke swooped Mama up into his arms; before their astounded gazes, he sprinted toward Lucy.

"I'll carry this dear lady, and it would be a good idea for you to appoint somebody to carry the other woman as well. She will likely collapse in a few minutes." The redhead nodded and waved again toward Rapid, who was by their side in half a second.

"Jay, y'think ya can carry Frost Queen?" The speedster nodded, and Lucy grinned. "Great! Y' carry her, an' we'll pick up the pace!" With this, Lucy sprinted down the hallway - the clones and Deathstroke were quick to follow. Mark hesistated for a moment, however after a "_c'mon!_" from Psy, he hurried to catch up. Rapid wasn't far behind with the frowning Frost Queen in his arms.

"I can move, y'know! I ain't weak or slow!" The villain was muttering to Rapid, who answered,

"Oh, believe me, I know you're fast - I've fought you! But can you _run?_ I've only seen you on those ice slides, which obviously you can't use in here," At his words, Frost Queen sighed; the speedster had been correct - that was primarily the reason why she had been traveling around only on her ice slides: her knees couldn't bear running. The villain then let loose another long sigh as Rapid caught up to Psy.

She was getting far too old for this.

* * *

Lucy hurled herself into the next room and abruptly skidded to a halt, eyes wide. "Uh-oh," she muttered as the clones stopped by her sides, along with Deathstroke and Mama. Mark wheezed as he stopped, leaning onto Lucy for support. Psy, with Healer, and Rapid, Frost Queen with him, soon caught up to peer in the doorway as well.

The speedster's eyes widened. "What the - "

Lucy glanced back as she grimaced. "Ah don't know!" Then she whispered, "Stay quiet, Ah'll see if Ah can talk us outta here," and turned back to the large gathering of HIVE goons that had gathered.

The redheaded woman stepped forward and found fifty blasters trained upon her. "What'a y'all doin'!?" She snarled out, and half of the henchmen wavered; their guns lowered. "Lower yer weapons! Move, an' lemme through! The base's blowin' up!"

The leading officer stepped forward and spoke, "Why are those... clones with you? And the Titans? And _Deathstroke?_"

Lucy frowned. "Y' don't trust mah word? Ah knows what Ah'm doin'! Back off!" The HIVE agents shared a glance, and the spokesman shook his head.

"I apologize, ma'am, but..." Suddenly, every officer hoisted up their blasters and trained them on the group. "...something stinks!"

However, the mechnical voice rang out, severing the tension: DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

The guards all hesistated, glancing at each other. Then one muttered, "It's not worth saving our lives if the Seven's just gonna kill us later for letting the clones escape, even if they're with Miss Savage."

At the smart lackey's words, they turned their attention to the group - Deathstroke had moved toward Lucy and Mark, whispering, "Which of you could carry this woman? I'll take care of them."

The sister and brother glanced at each other, but before they could respond, SB-47 howled and threw herself toward the henchmen; her seven fellow mutants quickly followed - BR-13 paused long enough to holler, "Go... GO! We... fight thEM! We... not... let thEM... get YOU! Run... now!"

Not waiting for another word, Lucy hauled herself to the other door; Mark hurried toward her, and Deathstroke tightened his grasp on Mama as he followed. Psy and Rapid weren't far behind with their load. The five named clones, however, paused.

"No!" Rich cried out, "You're our family! We don't want you to stay! Come with us!"

He recieved no answer, however, because the eight monstrous clones were busy scattering the goons right and left. Danielle stepped forward, clearly ready to leap into the fray, but found Lucy's hand on her arm; the redhead had returned with Mark - the two were blocking the five teenagers from entering the melee.

"Go! _Go!_" Lucy cried as she began to drag Danielle; Mark had grabbed onto Will and Logan - Caity and Rich were already slowly making their way to the door. The three men - Deathstroke, Psy, and Rapid - had disappeared; Lucy had told them that the hallway led to the mainframe room, where they could take the second door which led straight to the hanger.

"No! No! No!" Danielle cried out; her eyes began to glow green, though Lucy grabbed her head in her hands.

"Lissen ter me! They're doin' this so we can get out!" At Lucy's words, Danielle groaned and the glow faded from her eyes; the girl allowed Lucy to steer her to the door. Mark was still struggling with Logan and Will, however.

During this, the eight clones were sowing confusion and chaos amongst the henchmen: SB-47 hurled green starbolts at the goons as BN-66 took the form of a lopsided elk and struck out at the lackeys with his deadly hooves and antlers; NR-130's black soul-self claw mauled the agents as CR-70 blasted everwhere with her sonic cannon; CS-54 was zapping the officers with her solar cannon while SN-23 threw punches and kicks that quickly disabled the enemy; CN-5 used his brute strength to hurl the henchmen across the room while BR-13 took the form of a towering bear and lashed out at lackeys.

The HIVE officers were going down fast; while at the start of the fight, there were around fifty, now only twenty remained - however, those twenty had learned from their brethren's mistakes. They kept out of the range, and activated their shield; the three Starfire clones' starbolts were useless. The goons' blasts kept the other clones away from them; the room itself were quickly overheating from the laser fire.

Lucy and Mark grunted as they shoved their five clones toward the door; they were resisting, straining to join the eight bestial clones. "Go, go, go!" Mark cried out as he yanked Logan back before grabbing onto Rich; Lucy was wrestling with Will, and she had tripped Danielle with her foot. Only Caity had hesistated; the girl was gazing sadly at her eight mutant siblings with her three large eyes.

Before anybody - Lucy, Mark, the thirteen clones, and the henchmen - could think of the next action, BR-13 collapsed; blood pooled around his head with an alarming speed. The lackeys glanced at each other, confused; none of them had hit the clone. The five teenagers' eyes bugged out at the sight, and the seven remaining bestial clones howled.

BN-66 leapt toward the goons, who responded in kind: one laser blast hit him in the stomach; he flew back and landed hard on the floor. NR-130 snarled, though an officer's aim proved to be true as she was hit in the back. CS-54 avoided the fire, however she soon collapsed - CN-5 and SN-23 had already swooned. It wasn't long before CR-70 was disabled by the HIVE agents, and SB-47, after the other seven clones had blacked out, finally succumbed to weakness.

Danielle cried out; her eyes blazed a frightening green as she grabbed hands with Caity - her eyes were also glowing; the right one an alien green and the left eyes a demonic red - and the twins vanished in a burst of ebon smoke.

Lucy and Mark found themselves on the floor when Rich shoved out with his force field - the boy had sped off, soaring toward the henchmen. Will was close behind, and Logan had transformed into a bounding gazelle. Before the lackeys could fire at the three boys, however, the twins reappeared behind them in a pillar of silent smoke!

Before the stunned goons could turn, Danielle and Caity struck out with starbolts; four officers went down, and the force field fizzled out just in time for Rich to tear by: he sideswiped three agents with his fist. Will reached the group quickly and downed four henchmen with his sonic cannon, which took the shape of an eagle's head. The gazelle Logan leapt high into the sky and landed on six officers as an elephant.

Three lackeys remained; however, Lucy had scambled to her feet and pelted her pipe wrench in the direction of a goon - needless to say, he went down. Mark had redeemed a blaster from one of the unconicious agents and nailed the last two henchmen with it.

Danielle and Caity rushed to BR-13's side, followed by Logan, Will, and Rich; Lucy and Mark hovered back - they both sensed that it was a moment for the clones alone. The five teenagers gasped upon seeing BR-13; the clone's four eyes was shut, and dark red blood was seeping out of his eyes, nostrils, and mouth - if he'd had ears, blood also would have been leaking out of them.

Caity reached down and gently dragged BR-13 to herself and Danielle; Logan blinked his teary eyes. Will knelt down, and gingerly reached out with his hand. Rich dropped his head. Danielle began to cautiously shake BR-13; the clone was unresponsive.

Then BR-13 craked open one black eye. Noticing his five siblings, he croaked out, "Me... dying."

Logan's lips trembled; the small boy whimpered, "No! You can't die!"

A great sigh rippled through BR-13's body. "I... sorry. I... unstable clone... you... not," With great effort, BR-13 tossed his head to the right; he gazed in the direction of the seven other bestial clones. "They... unstable... too." Then, groaning, BR-13 turned his head back to the five teenagers. "You... stable. You... will live..."

Will choked out, "But you don't have a name yet."

BR-13 smiled a tiny, sad smile as he answered, "I... have name... BR-13. Not... human name... but still... name." He gasped; his body jerked, and the twins grabbed onto him, forcing him to lie still. BR-13 moaned as he choked out, "And... people... will know... me... as your... brother."

His body went limp, and with his final breath, BR-13 whispered, "No... greater thing... than... that..."

Danielle and Caity gasped, their faces pale; with a shout, they both jerked away from the soulless body of BR-13. Will caught them both, and he tightened his embrace on them as sobs wracked their frail frames. Logan's ears lowered as he closed his eyes - tears leaked out. Rich gulped, and his face hardened; he stood up, and made his way over to CN-5 and SN-23, who were lying near each other.

Like BR-13, they had fainted because their bodies failed them. Their blood had already begun to dry; Rich crouched by and gently prodded at them. CN-5 was cold; he had already died. SN-23 moaned, but didn't wake up. He would never wake up again. Rich closed his eyes for a moment and allowed a small sob to escape him.

However, there were still a brother and four sisters left - Rich crept over to CR-70's side. The girl's two human eyes were open, gazing at BR-13. When Rich entered her view, CR-70 met his eyes for a moment - then they became dark; her robotic eye also lost its glow. Rich swallowed hard as he stared at CR-70's face before he stood up and moved on to BN-66 and NR-130 - like SN-23 and CN-5, they had fallen near each other.

Their laser wounds had long since stopped bleeding, however the clones were pale - they didn't breathe, and when Rich gently laid his hands on them, they were clammy. Rich supressed a sob as he dropped his head. After taking in a deep breath, he strode toward CS-54. The cyborg managed a weak moan as Rich crouched down next to her - she held out her robotic hand, and Rich took it.

CS-54 weakly lifted her head into BR-13's direction; upon seeing the battered clone, she groaned, dropped her head and closed her Tamaran-green eyes. Rich felt her grasp lessened, and he tightened it, but it was to little avail; CS-54's hand lost all its strength. The boy allowed it to fall, and it hit the floor with a clatter.

Rich stood up; tears had flooded his eyes, blinding him, but he managed to stumble over to the last of the bestial clones - SB-47. Her eyes opened a small fraction upon hearing Rich's footsteps; a weak warbling came out of her fanged mouth. Rich knelt down and slipped his hand into hers. Then she managed to croak out, "BR-13...?"

Throat tight, Rich whispered, "He's... dead."

SB-47's body slumped upon hearing those words. "...BN-66? SN-23?... CS-54?... NR-130? CR-70?... CN-5?" She recieved no response from Rich, and she knew the truth. SB-47's eyes closed as a whimper tore itself from her. Tears slipped free from her eyelids, and she mumbled, "I... I..."

"You don't have to talk," Rich softly spoke as he tightened his grasp on SB-47's hand. The female clone took a deep breath.

"You... all of you... don't die..." She trailed off, and then a violent cough wracked her body; blood gushed out of her lips, and before Rich's horrified gaze, her skin began to bubble. SB-47 cried with pain, though she managed to add, "Don't... forget... us."

With that final request, SB-47 let her soul go; Rich moaned and dropped his head upon feeling SB-47's grasp on his hand weaken. Sobs wracked his body as he let go; he rocked back and forward on his heels, and then he felt many hands touch his back - his four siblings had caught up to him. He opened his eyes and was met by Logan's sad face and drooping ears. Will's ears had also lowered a little, and both Danielle and Caity were looking sickly pale.

The unwelcomed mechincal voice interrupted their mourning, however: DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN TEN MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Lucy and Mark gasped; they both hurried toward the five clones, yanked them to their feet, and ushered them toward the door. This time, the teenagers complied with their wishes, though with a lack of luster - indeed, it was a wonder they could see where they were going, for tears had flooded their eyes.

They reached door, and Lucy opened it; the silent group made their way down the hallway that led to the mainframe, where they could take the path to the hanger.

Where they could leave this graveyard.

* * *

Author's Note: Such is the ugly reality of clones of this universe - seen as mere objects, the humans who created the clones couldn't have cared any less when and if those clones died without being given a small shred of humanity, respect, and dignity: a name. What happened to BR-13 and his fellow monstrous clones are the norm.

Speaking of Deathstroke (Slade), the canon right before the "New 52" thing was that his firstborn son, Grant (the first Ravager), and ex-wife, Adeline, are dead. His second son Joseph (known as Jericho) and daughter Rose (the second Ravager) are still alive, however in my story, they would eventually be killed by the HIVE also, and Deathstroke have had been slowly plotting his vengeance against the HIVE ever since.

I apologize for the sheer amount of deaths in my story thus far, but a life like this - with super-heroes and villains - is not pretty. Regardless, I hope you're still enjoying the story, my dear readers!


	18. Trapped!

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, but the OCs are mine.

* * *

**Trapped!**

"Lucy?"

The woman glanced at her brother. "Yah?"

Mark frowned as he asked, "Do you know if they're waiting for us in the mainframe room or do you think they went on down that door you told them about?"

Lucy hesistated for a moment before replying, "Ah'm hopin' they went on, so they could get a ship started, but if not... well, we better hurry up, huh?"

Then she glanced behind her at the five forlorn clones. "C'mon, we're almost ter the mainframe - see tha' door over there?" She recieved no response, however, and shared a silent sigh with Mark. Before long, however, they reached the door at the end of the hallway; Lucy reached out and opened it.

Mark and Lucy swiftly entered the mainframe center, followed by the five clones. A quick glimpse of the surroundings informed them that the others had indeed gone down the second door, which was still open. Lucy hollered a "_c'mon!_" and tore down the hallway; Mark widened his eyes and with a "_wait!_" sprinted after his sister.

Logan and Danielle started down the hallway, however noticing a lack of their siblings, they turned around; Will and Caity were staring in curiousity at Rich, who was frighteningly pale and gazing at the floor just by the door.

The duo hurried to join their three siblings, and Logan frowned at Rich. "What's wrong?"

Rich lifted his white eyes and met Logan's. "Do... do you... know this room?"

At his question, the four other clones lifted their heads and gazed around - and gasped. At their gasps, Rich nodded. The boy was violently trembling; Danielle and Caity laid their hands on his shoulders, and Logan encircled his arms around Rich's waist; Will slung his arm over his sisters' hands. Rich closed his white eyes, and -

Literally out of air itself, an image conjured seemingly from nowhere! The five clones gasped and stared in horror at the grisly, bloody image of the dead Troia lying face-down amongst thirty-something bodies. The Titan was lying in the exact same spot Rich had been staring at a moment ago.

Before any of the startled teenagers could do anything, the image abruptly switched to a broken Cyborg swinging in the mechanical tentacles. Logan and Will's eyes filled with tears as they stared, terrifed, at the dead Titan. Before any of the clones could cry out, however, the image became one of a bloody Raven impaled on a long, steel lance. The woman's chin had dropped to her chest; the cowl cast a shadow that covered her entire face.

Danielle and Caity whimpered as they took in the sight of Raven's black blood which had poured like a waterfall down her front. Danielle raised her hand, but before she could reach out and touch the image, it showed them the next Titan: Beast Boy. The green beheaded lion was lying in midst of three large, empty robotic hulls. The lion's head was sitting beside its body. Logan buried his head into Will's side, and Will gulped; his face hardened.

The image moved on to the dead alien princess - Starfire. The golden woman was lying on the rubble, seemingly restful if not for the gaping hole in her torso and green blood that had pooled around her. Her crimson locks flowed from her head. Danielle and Caity dropped their mouths as they stared in awe at Starfire. Rich began to shake; he knew what was coming. He was proven right when the image became one of Nightwing - however, Nightwing was still alive.

He glared at the clones through the image that hovered in the air; his eyes were full with an insane rage. He cletched his teeth, and abruptly he raised a gun to his temple; he spat out,

"_No... you lose,_" and pulled at the trigger.

The five clones winced at the gunshot that rang out; thankfully, though, the image didn't show them the details of Nightwing's brain being blown out of his head. Then, the horrible images disappeared, leaving only empty air behind. The five clones huddled together, shivering and staring at the leftmost doorway; Deathstroke hasn't bothered to haul the door back up after destroying it.

Just beyond that door was where the Titans met their deaths three hundred years ago.

Logan blinked his tear-filled eyes and glanced at Rich... and let loose a huge gasp. Danielle, Caity, and Will leapt back at the gasp and let out disbelieving exclaims upon stealing a glimpse of Rich.

Rich frowned as he stared back at them in confusion. The tiny boy pointed at him, his mouth gaping soundlessly. Danielle had covered her mouth with her hands, and Caity's three eyes were wide. It was Will who spoke:

"Your hair!"

Rich grabbed his head. "What's wrong with it?"

Logan squealed out, "I-it's different! I-it's like - " He trailed off, choking on his words.

Danielle picked up where Logan left off: "It's like that woman! The woman with the starry clothes and hair! Your hair's starry like hers now!"

The boy in question gasped and tightened his hold on his now-star-flecked hair. "What!?" His white eyes widened. "What do you mean, starry?"

Caity's three solmen eyes met his. "It's... like stars on the sky at night!"

Rich stared back at his four brothers and sisters, dumbfounded. Before he could say anything, however, Deathstroke leapt into the room through the middle door - and paused upon catching sight of Rich.

"...Love the 'do, but I'm afraid we need to move!" However, the clones didn't comply, and the merchant held back a groan. "The others are heading toward the hanger - we have less than ten minutes! Come on!"

The five teenagers still didn't move, so Deathstroke grabbed each girl's arm and began tugging at them while beckoning for the boys to follow him. Logan and Will took a tiny step forward, but Rich remained rooted in his spot; a frown had furrowed his brows. "I..." He began, and hesistated.

Under Deathstroke's (albeit slightly impatient) gaze, Rich met the merchant's eye. "We... we saw... _their_ deaths."

The masked man's eye widened. "Whose deaths?"

The five clones gazed at him somberly as Rich answered, "The... Titans. T-the T-titans that we were c-cloned from..."

"How... how did you _see_ their deaths?" Deathstroke's voice was incredulous; the clones witnessed deaths that took place three hundred years ago?

Danielle glanced at the spot where the image had floated a moment ago and pointed at it, "Just now, there was this big picture there... it just floated, and it showed us things." At her words, Caity closed her three eyes, but then cracked her green eye open an inch.

"And... a little while ago, we..." She trailed off, unsure as to how to explain the event. "...dreamt about them, but it's not a dream. It's like..."

"A memory?" Deathstroke's voice rang out in the room; it held a different tone - the merchant had realized something the clones hasn't. Then he glanced at the bewildered Rich. "You were cloned from Troia, correct?"

At his nod, Deathstroke continued, "Troia had the power of memory." The five teenagers gasped as their eyes widened. "Troia could reach into one's head to pull out their memories and show them to everybody."

The masked man paused for several seconds as he pondered his next words. "I know that for the past hundred years, thanks to my intelligence, that the HIVE had been trying to expand upon Troia's power of memory. Apparently, they wanted a clone that could - " Deathstroke met and held Rich's gaze. " - see through _time._"

Rich's white eyes widened - his scleras had gone silvery at the same time his hair had become flecked with stars. The merchant added, "I recieved report that they had succeeded recently with a Troia clone; he has the ability to glimspe into the past, and apparently, that clone could somehow project those visions into the minds of four other clones," he glanced at the four teenagers who were staring awestrucken at Rich. "The interesting thing was, none of those four were Troia clones."

Deathstroke nodded at the five amazed clones. "It would seem that this clone is you, NT-37." Rich could only gape in wonderment. "However, as interesting as this is, I'm afraid we need to get going!"

At this, the merchant bolted down the hallway leading to hanger; Danielle and Caity scurried to keep up - Will had grabbed onto Logan's arm to hurry him along. Rich, after a spilt second's worth of hesistation, followed his brothers and sisters.

As they scampered down the corridor, the mechinal voice rang out: DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN FIVE MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Rich's eyes widened as he picked up his pace - he had no desire to perish here like the Titans had done all those years ago. Then he shuddered; he wasn't so sure he liked being able to see through time.

After all, some things were meant to be left behind in the past.

* * *

"Where are they!?" Mark cried out as he glanced behind himself; the Titans, Frost Queen, Mama, and Lucy were all ahead of him. They were tearing down the hallway - Lucy had informed them that the next door would be the one that opened to the hanger.

"Ah don't know, but we gotta hurry! Ah'll start a ship so when Deathstroke gits here with the clones, we'll be ready ter get outta here!" Lucy answered Mark over her shoulder; she came to a halt before the door and ran her hand over the control panel.

It slid open, and the group rushed through the doorway to find themselves in a spacious hanger - empty of all aircraft. "What... where are the ships!?" Rapid cried out as he glanced wildly at Lucy, who was gaping.

"A-ah don't know! Ah... Ah, Ah mean, only a few o' us have the keys ter those ships!" She stammered as she glanced fruitlessly around the lonely cave. Then Frost Queen glanced to the far left wall and swiftly found the answer:

"There! See the debris? They blew up the ships!" Her tone was ugly; the others looked over toward the spot she had pointed at and let loose various curses.

The mechinal voice rang out: DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN FOUR MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

Lucy glanced at Rapid helplessly; Mama had moved to embrace Frost Queen, and Psy tightened his hold on Healer. Mark had dropped to his knees; he closed his eyes as tears flooded them.

There was no way out.

* * *

Deathstroke spotted the open door just ahead them and fired off a "_Hurry, kids!_" as he leapt through it; the clones were close behind. The merchant halted, however, upon seeing the expressions of the adults and the surroundings - all ships were gone; they were trapped.

The teenagers, however, let loose a cry of joy as they hurled themselves at Mama, who let go of her sister before holding out her arms for her children. "Dearies! Oh, my dearies - Rich?" Her shocked voice rang out. "What happened ta yer hair?"

Lucy and Mark swirled around, and their jaws dropped upon catching sight of Rich's newly star-flecked hair. The boy widened his eyes as he answered, "I don't know!"

Deathstroke cut in with a: "He had recently unlocked a new power, one specific to Troia. I suppose that it caused his hair to become like Troia's - hers was also starry."

Psy and Rapid shared a surprised glance as Lucy and Mark let loose disbelieving gasps. Mama's eyes widened as she pulled Rich in close; Logan, Danielle, and Caity nudged in between the two as Will scooped them up in a bear hug. Frost Queen raised her eyebrows in mild surprise as she stepped back to stand beside Psy.

DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN THREE MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY. As always, the message was unwelcome; the clones gasped and began to panick, however Mama muttered to them,

"Calm down! Calm down, we'll get outta here!"

Lucy closed her eyes as her shoulders slumped; Rapid laid a hand on her shoulder. Mark dropped his head - he was still on his knees - and Frost Queen shared a sad glance with Psy, who was still cradling the unconicious Healer. Deathstroke clutched his fists as he gazed around.

Then the merchant had an idea. "Frost Queen!"

The old woman glanced at him, and he commanded, "Create a large ice dome around us! Make it as thick and large as possible! It need to be able to withstand the deep sea pressure!"

Lucy gasped and nodded as a thought occured to her, "Tha's right! They'll be destroyin' this base by lettin' water in!" At the redhead's word, the weathered villain widened her eyes and swiftly thrusted out her hands, loosing a continuous ice stream.

The five teenagers watched, awed, as Frost Queen steadfastly began to create an immense ice dome, layer by layer, over themselves.

DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE IN TWO MINUTES. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

The elderly woman's face was contorted; she had never made such a shelter before, and it was immensely taxing on her - although, she had been using her powers all her life. She certainly could do it. And as the hole closed in at the top - just as the computer voice announced that they had a minute left before wishing them a good day - Frost Queen let slip a groan and slumped to the floor; Mama hurried toward her sister.

Deathstroke nodded as he lightly tapped at the thick icy wall. "Good, this should give us a few minutes," and then he glanced at Danielle and Caity. "I have an idea for us to get out of here..."

He was cut off by a loud rumbling; the mechincal voice echoed, DESTRUCTION OF THE BASE PROCESSING. HAVE A GOOD DAY.

The walls to the hanger that had protected the base from the sea outside shattered; water came crashing inside the cave and was quickly flooding it. However, Frost Queen's dome held as the raging waters tumbled against it... for the moment.

The occupations inside stared around at the ice shelter in horror; it was slowly cracking, and Mama cried out, "Freeze it, Barbara!"

But the villain was paralyzed in terror - she could only gaze at the widening cracks. "Barbara, what's wrong!? Yer done this many times before - ya can freeze sea water!" Mama pleaded with her sister, but she recieved no response.

Then, Mark's eyes widened and he rushed to Frost Queen's side. He grabbed her hands and declared, "I forgive you!" The woman's eyes snapped to his; hers were wide and fearful. "I forgive you for murdering my father! I know it was an accident - I never faulted you for that!"

Frost Queen jerked her hands out of Mark's; she stepped back, still staring horrified at him. The boy persisted, "Barbara, I'm not angry with you for killing my dad! I forgive you! Aunt - please help!" With his cry, Frost Queen snapped her head around and glowered toward her ice shelter, which was cracking.

With a scream, she threw her hands forward - just in time, for water had come tumbling inside. The waves were quickly frozen by the villain and once more she began to build up several new layers around the dome as quickly as lightning. When she was done, they had considerably less room, but the ice had stopped creaking; Frost Queen had successfully stopped the coming death. The woman dropped to her knees, trembling violently as Mama gathered up her baby sister into a hug.

While this was going on, Deathstroke knelt by Danielle and Caity; he reached into his pouch and brought out a small plastic bag - inside laid two immensely ancient ruby-and-gold rings. Locking gaze with the twins, he told them, "Those rings rightfully belong to you," and opened the bag. "Take them."

The onlookers gazed with confusion as the two girls stared at the rings; their faces had gone ashen. "Wh-what...?" Danielle choked out as she glanced at the rings with a small look of terror upon her face. "Th-those rings..."

"...Belonged to Raven," Deathstroke's voice cut through the air; everybody's heads snapped toward him with a gasp. "They were passed to her by her mentor, Azar. She wore them for many years of her life until her death, and now they belong to you, her heirs."

Caity dropped her mouth open as she lowered her gaze to the two rings that waited in the bag. Danielle gulped hard, though she made no move. Deathstroke fought off the rising panic as he calmly told them, "Take the rings and place them on your fingers."

With this, the twins swallowed hard before taking one ring each. Danielle and Caity glanced at each other before Caity placed her ring on her right pointer finger; Danielle did the same with her left pointer finger.

The rings slid smoothly over their fingers - they were a perfect match. As soon as the rings came to a rest just above the knuckles, Danielle and Caity let go, and the rings began to twinkle; the two girls went rigid, and the gemstones in their foreheads glowed red as their eyes faded to black.

They shuddered violently - and slumped to the floor before the horrified gazes of the onlookers.

* * *

Author's Note: Concerning Rich's supposed ability to "see through time," please keep in mind that this is what Deathstroke (Slade) and the clonists believed. The question is: are they right? Could Rich really see through time, or is it something else? What do you think, readers? Let me hear your theories!

Regarding Troia's (Donna Troy) power of memories, I realize that some readers here might would not be familiar with it. It's a power she rarely uses. The basis is this: if the other person is willing to let her in their minds, she could "pull out" their memories and literally "project" them mid-air, like a big picture.

Also, about the Rings of Azar: for some reason, I've somehow gotten it into my head that the rings are gold bands decked out with rubies, despite the fact that every single time those rings appeared - in both the comic and cartoon - they were purely gold. I suppose I just liked the ruby-and-gold interpretation better, so there you are.

Read on, my dear readers! You've come this far, and there are just one chapter left! That's right, you're nearly done!


	19. The End Has Come

**Legends Never Die**

By Talitha the Little Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans or Deathstroke the Terminator, however the OCs are mine.

Final Word: This is the last chapter of the story - readers, the ride have finally come to a stop! Many thanks to Griffinmon, who edited my weird grammar errors and challenged me to improve my writing - and thank you, readers, for sticking with me this long!

* * *

**The End Has Come**

_Pain. Sheer pain - nothing like this, ever. It cuts through the soul._

_The two young girls trembled as they cried out; the pain was too much to bear. Too much!_

_The loneliness! The horror! The madness!_

_Alone for three hundred years! Alone!_

_Nothing but pain - pain of the entire world! The soul hurts so much!_

_Stop! The sisters pleaded in vain; the pain spread throughout their bodies, lashing out to their very cores, to their souls - oh, the hurt!_

_Darkness! Coldness!_

_Stop! Stop! The frigid talons had reached their minds - it savagely tore at their souls! No - no, it hurt! The insanity! No!_

"Be at peace, children."

_The warm, wise voice flooded their bodies; the pain vanished along with the darkness and coldness. The two girls struggled to open their eyes... but it hurt so much to do so._

"You should not fear your gifts. They are a part of your hertiage."

_Gifts? The rings are not gifts! They are madness!_

"You cannot deny who you are, children."

_Who? The twins gasped with great effort; their eyes finally opened, and they gazed around themselves - they were floating in an emptiness. A nothingness._

"You are In-Between; you have nothing to fear, children."

_The sisters turned around - how they did that in the nothingness they would never know - and were met by an ancient woman. Her long white hair flowed from her head; a circle rubystone rested amongst the heavy wrinkles on her forehead._

_Her red-and-gold dress shimmered as she lifted her bangle-laden arm and gestured at the emptiness that surrounded them. Her other hand clutched at a golden staff._

"I am Azar."

_Her voice dispelled away all the hurt, and the two girls stared, awestrucken, at the goddess. The elderly woman - was it possible to be so_ old? _- smiled as she gazed upon the twins._

"Embrace your hertiage, children, and the rings will help you."

_The sisters shared a look before soundlessly asking, Embrace our hertiage? How can we, when we are descended from Trigon himself?_

_The elderly goddess lifted her staff and pointed it toward them._

"No, do not take pride in Trigon; instead, take pride in that you are Raven's heirs."

_The two girls gaped as their eyes widened. The ancient woman lowered her staff as she stared at them - her gaze pierced their souls._

"Accept that you are Raven's offspring, and you will achieve great things."

_Great things? The twins again glanced at each other in confusion. They had inherited little to nothing from Raven, other than her teleporation and a small part of the soul-self. The goddess shook her head._

"No. You have inherited all of her immense powers - but first you must learn about yourself before you can hope to become the healer she was."

_Healer? They would bring joy and dispell pain? The elderly woman locked gazes with them._

"You have a great hertiage, children. Do not fear it."

_The warmth began to fade; the sisters gasped as the coldness began creeping up their bodies. The ancient, regal woman opened her mouth as she added another message:_

"Wear those rings always, for I still dwell within them. I once guided Raven, and so now shall I guide you..."

_The two girls grabbed each other's hands; they could feel the pull at their bodies - they were returning to the world of living._

_And Azar smiled._

"...and Raven herself also lives in the rings. She shall guide you as well."

_The final thing they saw was the goddess in her glamorous red-and-gold robe and the long white locks that floated from her head, and just before the sisters' awareness faded, a second person appeared next to Azar; she wore a long, heavy blue cloak with a hood that cast an impertentable shadow over her face._

_Her two piercing blue eyes met theirs._

{Peace, my children. I shall be with you always..}

* * *

Danielle and Caity let loose a huge gasp as their bodies began to thrash; Deathstroke suddenly reached out and held them still as they slowly opened their eyes. The twins trembled and their mouth gaped soundlessly as they glanced around at the group which had crowded in close.

"Dearies, are y' okay?" Mama's worried voice floated out, and the twins glanced at their foster mother before latching upon her. Their bodies shook violently as sobs wracked their frames - what they had just experienced was nearly far too much. Mama shushed them as she began rocking back and forth.

Logan's ears drooped as the tiny boy encircled his arms around his sisters' waists; Rich put his arms around their shoulders, and Will lifted his four siblings in a bear hug. Lucy and Mark had stepped to Mama's sides and knelt down, staring at Danielle and Caity.

"I'd hate to break this up," Deathstroke's smooth, suave voice rang out, "But... we're stuck in a rather delicate situation." Frost Queen sighed from where she was standing next to Psy; Healer was still unconicious, and Rapid glanced nervously at the ice shelter that protected them from the water. "I'm afraid we don't have much air left, unless you two could do something?" He nodded toward Danielle and Caity.

The twins frowned as they gazed down at the rings; what had that goddess, Azar, said? _I once guided Raven, and so now I shall guide you... and Raven herself will guide you as well._

Danielle met Caity's eyes, and an unspoken thought budded into their minds; ask the rings for aid. They nodded in unison, and grasped the ring-laden hands together as they closed their eyes.

_Help us! Raven, Mother, help us!_

Deathstroke took a step back as Mama gasped and leapt backwards along with Lucy and Mark; Logan, Will, and Rich drew back from their sisters - the Titans and Frost Queen's mouths fell open as the rings began glowing as brightly as suns. The light flooded the ice dome, scattering rays everywhere.

The twins' eyes snapped open; they had taken on an odd expression, and the gemstones embedded in their foreheads burned with a fiery light. Their mouths opened, and a rough, gravelly voice came out.

{I hear, my children, and I come.}

The merchant's eye widened; he knew that voice - Raven. The other onlookers, however, stared at Danielle and Caity in alarm; they did not know the voice. The twins lifted their heads and began to shake as an immense darkness rose from their forms.

{My daughters, I have come!}

The blackness was not what Danielle and Caity had unleashed before; it was unbelievably huge and distinctively bird-like in shape. It swiftly enveloped the occupations within itself: _so_ dark and _cold!_

{Do not fear, my children. This is my gift to you.}

The black, inky bird raised its head to let loose a shrieking cry as it spread its wings - and a moment later, water shattered the icy walls and crashed on the spot where the shadowy bird had been previously.

* * *

Blackness exploded out within the steel room and spread, swallowing the entire tower. Then as suddenly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving behind several stunned people. Deathstroke rose to his feet, and stared, dumbfound, at the twins, who were shivering.

{_My daughters, I am here always,_} the voice whispered in their minds as the rings stopped glowing. Danielle gasped as she met Caity's eyes.

A small moan shattered the silence; Healer had finally begin to revive - yet another gift of Raven. Psy abruptly scambled to her, grabbing her hand. Rapid wasn't far behind, and Frost Queen climbed to her feet with help from Mark; Lucy had offered her hand to Mama.

"_Hansika!_" Psy cried out as Healer's eyes fluttered open. "_Oh, thank God. Yer alive!_" The woman grinned a weak smile as she glanced around herself. "_We got out o' the base, an' we're here. Hansika..._" Psy beamed at the winged woman. "_They stopped the HIVE! The HIVE is no more - the base's destroyed!_"

"Oh, that's wonderful news," Healer whispered as she tightened her hold on Psy's hand. "Wonderful, indeed." Rapid grinned at the couple as he knelt next to Healer. "Jay? It's good to see you."

The three Titans shared a chuckle as the two men gently helped Healer into a sitting position. Meanwhile, Lucy had joined Mark at Frost Queen's side. "Ah... Ah wanna thank y' fer all yer help back at the base."

The old woman smiled at them. "No need ta thank me. I ain't lettin' anybody die, least of all my family!" She grasped Lucy and Mark's shoulders with her hands. "Guess we have a lot of catchin' up ta do, eh?"

Mark beamed as he nodded. "That we do, Aunt Barbara."

Frost Queen's eyes mellowed at long last. "Ya can call me Barbs... I ain't likin' Barbara!" The trio grinned at each other before turning toward Mama, who was hugging her five teenagers.

"Oh, dearies, I'm so proud of y'all!" Beaming, the old woman wiped away the dirt that had gathered on the clones' faces. "I'm _so_ proud, dearies!" She then drew them into another embrace.

During all that, Deathstroke had crept out of the room and made his way to the roof of the tower - there, he could use his controls to summon his aircraft from the isle that used to lead to the HIVE base.

He closed his eye as he mused his future. The HIVE's main base was destroyed; he would need to hunt down the rest of the outposts around the world, but this was a major blow to the HIVE. Deathstroke opened his eye upon hearing a quiet whistling - his aircraft had arrived.

He climbed aboard it, and as he buckled himself up, he allowed himself a quick, grim smirk. One day, he would bring around the complete, utter end to the HIVE.

That day couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

The celebration came to an end soon, however, and the Titans glanced at each other. Then Rapid sighed, "We need to contract the ISL and let them know the whole story - remember how we have warrants out on us for hiding the clones and Frost Queen?"

Psy and Healer nodded; the trio stood up and moved toward one of the many doors in the room. Then, Rapid paused and glanced behind himself. "We should be back by dinnertime... you all are welcome to stay as long as you like!"

With this, the Titans went downstairs to the hanger where an aircraft would take them to the International Superhero League headquarters in London. After they had departed, Lucy glanced at her family. "Ah gotta report this ter mah superiors. Obviously, mah job got a bit messed up," she grinned good-naturedly at the clones.

"Ah'll be back fer dinner! Be sure ta make somethin' delicious, Momma!" With this, she followed the Titans to the hanger where she could borrow a hovercar for her errand.

Mark glanced at Mama. "Mama, I know you're not a big fan of fast food, but I'm thinking pizza would be great for tonight - we have a lot to celebrate, after all!"

Mama grinned fondly at Mark. "O'course, Markie! Pizza sounds great! Would ya come with me?" Her foster son nodded, and she turned toward Frost Queen. "Barbara, y' wanna come? We'll go ter Pizza World an' pick up some chips an' soda, too."

The former villain smiled at them. "That sounds wonderful, Marcy. I think I'll come along - I'll give y'all a ride on my ice slides! It's fun, boy," she told Mark, who looked slightly apprehensive at the idea.

Mark and Frost Queen started toward the door that led to the elevator, but Mama paused by the clones. "Dearies, why don't y'all get some rest? The tower won't let anybody else in, so it's plenty safe here!" She beamed lovingly at the five teenagers. "Y'all look wiped out, dearies! Jest rest, Mama says so!"

With this, the woman followed Mark and Frost Queen through the door, waving fondly at the clones who stared at her. The door slid close, and Rich sighed.

"What... do we do now?"

Logan shrugged as Will sat down; Danielle and Caity finally climbed to their feet - they had been sitting the whole time. The twins glanced at each other before Danielle spoke up:

"I..." Her brothers turned toward her, and she cleared her throat. "W-when th-that black thing... took us here... s-she did something t-to us." Logan's brows lowered in confusion and Danielle realized that she had forgotten something vital. "Oh! You know how we're cloned from Raven?" The boys nodded.

"Raven's soul still... lives in our rings," The boys gasped and Danielle added, "That black thing was Raven!" She glanced at the shy Caity before finishing, "Raven... opened a few of our powers."

Logan's eyes widened as Will gasped; Rich narrowed his eyes. Caity nodded. "We... can _feel_ what you feel..." The brothers shared an astounded look. "And..." Caity frowned as she glanced over her shoulder. "Do you feel that, Danielle?"

Her twin nodded. "There's somebody else here with us."

Rich straightened up as Logan and Will gasped. "Who? Where?" The white-eyed boy demanded of his sisters, but they shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know, Rich. I feel that person... all around us," Danielle explained. Caity nodded in agreement, and the brothers frowned in confusion. Before any of them could make the next move, however, the wall to their left slid out of the way - it was actually a secret door!

"I didn't know the tower has secret rooms!" Logan cried out, amazed. Will stepped near it, followed by Rich. Danielle grabbed Caity's hand and the twins crept carefully toward it. The sisters shuddered, and the three boys glanced at them.

"It's... stronger. That person... is there," Caity mumbled as she pointed down the dark hallway. The five clones nodded and made their way down it - it looked as if no human being had set foot in this place... for three hundred years at least.

Soon, they came to a rest beside an ancient door. It slowly creaked out of the way, and they were greeted by an odd sight; a room full of steel tentacles that clustered around one wall.

Rich's brows lowered as he stepped near it; Will put his arm around Logan, who gulped, and Danielle and Caity glanced at each other. "Rich, that person we feel - it's there!" Danielle cried, pointing at the vine-like machines.

WHAT YOU FEEL IS ME.

The enoromous voice boomed out; the floor shook slightly, and dust flittered down from the ceiling. The five teenagers rushed together, huddling and shaking.

PLEASE... DON'T BE AFRAID.

Caity's three eyes widened. "I heard you before!"

Lights suddenly brightened in the room as the large voice answered delightfully, YOU REMEMBERED THAT?

Caity's siblings glanced at her in confusion and she explained, "Remember how when Deathstroke brought us to that building? I somehow... took us here, and when I did, I heard a voice calling me... little Raven," she finished with a gasp.

YES. YOU ARE RAVEN'S DAUGHTER, ARE YOU NOT?

Logan twitched his ears. "Well, actually, she's Raven's clone... and so is Danielle," he finished, pointing at the girl in question.

CLONES, CHILDREN. SAME DIFFERENCE.

"Huh?" Will murmured at Logan, who shrugged. The feminie voice answered - apparently, the being had good hearing.

AH, I APOLOGIZE. IT WAS A SAYING FROM THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO; WHAT I MEANT WAS, I DON'T CARE. YOU ARE DESCENDED FROM THE TITANS AND THAT'S WHAT MATTERS.

"You know the Titans?" Rich gasped out as he glanced around him at the large room, possibly looking for the source of the voice.

YES. I AM THE TOWER.

The five teenagers' eyes widened as they gaped soundlessly at each other. The voice, now identified as belonging to the tower, continued.

OVER THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, WHEN CYBORG'S FATHER BUILT ME - NO, I MEAN, BUILT THIS HOME FOR ME, HE PLACED MY TRUE BODY IN HERE, and the steel tentacles parted to reveal a frail, shiveled woman!

The clones gasped as they stepped near to get a good look. Numerous cords ran out of her body and her head - only a few wisps of blonde strands remained. The woman's body barely existed; it was impossibly gnarled and twisted. I WAS BORN THIS WAY, AND THE STAR LABS USED ME FOR A NEW EXPERIMENT. WHEN I WAS BARELY A WEEK OLD, THEY HOOKED ME UP - NO, WHAT I MEANT WAS, THEY TRANSFERRED MY CONICIOUSNESS TO A MACHINE.

The woman twitched, though her eyes remained tightly shut; it looked as the woman had never ever opened her eyes. I GREW UP IN A MACHINE. EVERY FEW YEARS, THEY WOULD TRANSFER ME TO A NEW 'HOME,' SO TO SPEAK, AND I WOULD LEARN HOW TO ADJUST TO A NEW SET OF... SENSES. The tower paused for a moment, and the lights dimmed slightly.

I NEVER WAS TRULY AWARE OF EXISTING WITHIN MY OWN TRUE BODY - I ONLY CARED FOR IT BECAUSE IF IT PERISHED, I WOULD PERISH. MY MIND RESIDES WITHIN MY BODY, BUT I EXIST WITHIN THE HULLS THE SCIENTISTS PLACED ME IN.

The woman quivered, and the steel cords closed over her, hiding her from view once again. The tower continued its train of thought, THEN CYBORG'S FATHER BUILT THIS TOWER AS A GIFT TO HIS SON. HE PITIED ME; HE KNEW THAT THE ARMY WAS PLANNING TO PLACE ME IN A TANK AND USE ME. SILAS STONE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN TO ME, SO HE SMUGGLED ME OUT OF STAR LABS AND PLACED ME IN HERE.

The lights high above brightened again as the tower's mood lifted. AND SO I SERVED THE TITANS EVER SINCE, THOUGH ONLY THE FIRST ONES KNEW MY SECRET. HONESTLY, I COULDN'T HAVE KEPT MYSELF A SECRET FROM THEM, FOR RAVEN FELT ME THE VERY FIRST DAY. IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE CYBORG DISCOVERED WHAT HIS FATHER HAD DONE.

The tower hesistated for a moment as it gathered its thoughts; meanwhile, the five clones were still gazing at the steel tentacles that hid the tower's true body. THOSE YEARS WERE WONDERFUL. THE TITANS - NIGHTWING, TROIA, BEAST BOY, CYBORG, STARFIRE, AND RAVEN - KNEW ABOUT ME. THEY KNEW WHAT I WAS, AND YET THEY ACCEPTED ME. THEY WERE MY... FRIENDS.

THEN THE HIVE MURDERED THEM. NIGHTWING MANAGED TO SEND THE EVIL ORGANIZATION'S PLANS TO ME, AND FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS I HAVE ANALZYED EVERYTHING I COULD FROM IT, the voice held a bitter tone. NIGHTWING GAVE ME AN ORDER, AND I WOULD NOT - I _CANNOT_ - FAIL HIM!

The tower sighed; steel creaked as the building swayed slightly. IT WAS A_ VERY_ LONG THREE HUNDRED YEARS; I HAD NO ONE TO SPEAK TO - I CANNOT, FOR IF I REVEALED MYSELF TO THE WRONG PERSON, WHO KNOWS WHAT HE WOULD DO? POSSIBLY HE WOULD TRY TO TRANSFER ME INTO A WEAPON OR DESTROY ME!

The voice halted for a moment, and as the tower pondered its words, the five teenagers lowered themselves to the floor, still gazing in amazemet at the tangle of steel vines. BUT... THEN I FELT YOU. YOU HAD BEEN BORN, AND I KNEW THAT THE TIME HAD COME. THE HIVE WOULD SOON BE STOPPED!

The lights brightened; Danielle and Caity shared a grin - they could feel the tower's joy. AND I KNEW THAT I COULD SHARE MY SECRET WITH YOU, CHILDREN. I HAVE HAD BEEN SO LONELY FOR _SO_ LONG.

Logan's ears perked up as his tiny voice rang out: "Oh, I'm so glad to meet you!" Then he faltered. "Um, what do we call you?"

The feminie voice answered, THE TITANS SIMPLY KNEW ME AS TOWER. YOU MAY CALL ME TOWER, OR ANY NICKNAME YOU COME UP WITH - CYBORG AND BEAST BOY DELIGHTED IN INVENTING VARIOUS NICKNAMES FOR ME.

Danielle's beaming grin flashed as her cheerful voice floated out, "Pleased to meet you, Tower! My name is Danielle!"

Logan cut in with a, "I'm Logan!"

"I'm Will!" Will was delighted to add in.

Rich introduced himself, "My name is Rich!"

Caity blinked her three eyes as she glanced again at the tentacles that hid the tower's true body. "You called me little Raven before... my name is Caity."

PLEASED TO MEET YOU ALL, CHILDREN!

The five clones shared a giddy grin. The tower, however, had a word of caution: YOU CANNOT TELL ANYBODY - NOT EVEN YOUR FOSTER FAMILY - ABOUT ME. THE IDEA OF A HUMAN BEING FORCED TO BECOME A MACHINE SIMPLY BECAUSE SHE WAS SEVERELY DISABLED IS AN CONCEPT THAT IS STILL FROWNED UPON TODAY.

The five teenagers' eyes were wide. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

Rich nodded. "We understand, Tower! We won't tell anybody!" His siblings nodded in agreement with him. Suddenly, the lights flickered off, and as the five clones cried out in surprise, the tower spoke up.

I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG TO SHOW YOU PICTURES OF THEM.

At the end of its words, a projector appeared out of the ceiling, and before the five teenagers' awestruck gazes, an image appeared on the far wall; it was a picture of the Teen Titans! It flickered as the tower went through its pictures of the Titans, and there were many.

CHILDREN, TAKE PRIDE IN WHO YOU ARE. YOU ARE BORN FROM THE TEEN TITANS - NOT JUST ANY TITANS, BUT _THEM!_

Rich grinned as he soaked in the many pictures of a smiling, happy Nightwing and a laughing Troia. They both had blue eyes and black hair; Troia's hair was star-flecked like his. The most exiciting part of it all was that Rich could see small parts of himself on both Nightwing and Troia!

Logan squealed and grabbed on Will, pointing at the pictures of the robotic Cyborg and the green Beast Boy. Cyborg was an immense man; Beast Boy, on the other hand, was hilariously tiny, with pointed ears and fangs. Will and Logan shared a delighted glance - Will could see that Logan looked like Beast Boy, and Logan could see that Will looked like Cyborg!

Danielle let loose a laugh as she squeezed Caity; both gazed at the pictures of the alien Starfire and - _uncloaked!_ - Raven. Starfire had brilliant green eyes - just like Caity's right green eye - and Raven had blue eyes. Danielle giggled as she noticed that Starfire had curls like the they did, and Raven had that gemstone in her forehead. Caity grinned happily; they both looked just like Raven, but with Starfire's golden skin!

NIGHTWING WAS RICHARD GRAYSON, the tower began, and Rich gasped. They had the same name! TROIA WAS DONNA TROY; CYBORG WAS VICTOR STONE; BEAST BOY WAS GARFIELD LOGAN. Logan let loose a loud squeal upon hearing that he also shared a name with his ancestor. STARFIRE WAS PRINCESS KORIAND'R OF TAMARAN, AND RAVEN WAS... the tower chuckled before finishing, RAVEN.

The five teenagers began squirming impatiently as the tower showed them more pictures, and then before their astounded gazes, the pictures switched to various videos! The clones' eyes widened upon hearing the Titans' voices floating out. The tower continued,

THERE WAS AN EXPRESSION FROM ABOUT TWO HUNDRED YEARS AGO; IT REMAINS TRUE EVEN TODAY.

"What is it, Tower?" Rich called out as his eyes remained glued on the screen, which showed Cyborg chasing Beast Boy around the tower; Logan and Will were laughing as Danielle and Caity giggled. The tower smiled inwardly as it answered,

LEGENDS NEVER DIE.

* * *

Author's Note: A cheesy ending, yes, but I've always written this as if this was a comic book, and comic books are known for their occasional cheesy ending. Besides, those five teenagers needed a happy ending after what they've endured at the HIVE base.

I would like to discuss the scene with Azar and Raven. We know very little about Azar and we've only seen her through flashbacks (in the comic-universe), not counting that one time when Azar possessed Lilith Clay (later known as Omen). What we do know about her is that she was very wise, and that she raised Raven with fairness. Raven called her a goddess, and she regularly invokes Azar's name, similar to how Starfire uses X'Hal's name and Troia (Donna Troy) the Greek gods'.

We know from the _New Teen Titans _(Wolfman-Perez) "Terror of Trigon" arc (the second coming of Trigon) that Azar's soul really does continue to exist within her rings, which she had given to Raven upon her bodily death. We also learned from the same arc that Azar taught Raven the separation of soul from body for the specific purpose of defeating Trigon. Raven is the _only_ Titan who could voluntarily _expel_ her very soul from her own body, and this is why she survived when Trigon forcefully yanked her soul out of her body. I brought this up because I've had one reviewer tell me that he/she thought all the Titans' souls should have been in the rings. I wanted to explain that this is not possible, because none of the other Titans were even remotely capable of separating their souls and bodies. When they died, their souls ascended to a different plane.

Raven could... but this comes with a terrible price. Consider, readers: for three hundred years, Raven have dwelt alone in those rings, lacking a body and with only Azar (and the murdered souls of Azarath, who hated her) for company. It is a sad fate.

Back to the story - I certainly hoped you enjoyed the story, my dear readers! Please let me hear your thoughts and questions, and thank you for taking the time to read my story!


End file.
